The Inflation Rate (IR) for the bottom 30% income households in Eastern Visayas continued to slow down to 0.2 percent in March 2025 from 0.5 percent in February 2025.
This brings the regional average IR from January to March 2025 to 0.5 percent. Moreover, the regional IR for this income group was lower than the 1.1 percent national IR recorded in March 2025. The region’s IR for the bottom 30% income households in March 2024 was higher at 4.5 percent.

The main driver to the deceleration of the regional inflation for the bottom 30% income households in March 2025 was the faster annual price decrease in the heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages commodity group recorded at 1.2 percent from 0.2 annual price decrease in February 2025.

This was followed by the 0.2 percent annual price decrease registered in transport commodity group in March 2025 from 0.7 percent IR in the previous month.
In addition, slower IRs were noted in the following commodity groups during the month: furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 1.2 percent from 1.3 percent; recreation, sport and culture, 1.8 percent from 2.0 percent; and information and communication, 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent.

On the other hand, compared with their IRs in February 2025, higher IRs were observed in the following commodity groups: alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 3.9 percent from 3.8 percent; clothing and footwear, 1.0 percent from 0.9 percent;housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 4.6 percent from 1.4 percent; health, 1.9 percent from 1.4 percent; and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services, 1.4 percent from 1.3 percent.
Meanwhile, education services and restaurants and accommodation services commodity groups retained their previous month’s IR at 12.7 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively. The IR for financial services remained at zero percent during the month.

The top three commodity groups that contributed to the March 2025 regional IR for the bottom 30% income households were the following: housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 252.1 percent share or 0.50 percentage point; alcoholic beverages and tobacco with 50.5 percent share or 0.10 percentage point; and personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, with 24.4 percent or 0.05 percentage point.

Food inflation for the bottom 30% income households in Eastern Visayas recorded a faster annual price decline of 1.5 percent in March 2025 from 0.3 percent IR in
February 2025. In March 2024, food inflation for this income group was posted at 8.3 percent.

The decrease of food IR for the bottom 30% income households was primarily brought about by the faster annual price decrease in rice at 9.4 percent in March 2025, from a 6.7 percent annual price decrease in February 2025.

The annual price decrease of fruits and nuts commodity group at 0.1 percent during the month, from 4.9 percent in February 2025 also contributed to the downtrend of the food IR. Fish and other seafood commodity group also recorded slower IR at 4.4 percent in March 2025, from 5.1 percent in the previous month.

In addition, the following food groups recorded slower IRs during the month in review: milk, other dairy products and eggs, 1.8 percent from 2.4 percent; ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified, 5.8 percent from 6.1 percent; and flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, 1.7 percent from 1.9 percent.

In contrast, higher IRs were observed in the following food groups in March 2025 compared with their IRs in February 2025: corn, 2.5 percent from 1.4 percent; meat, and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 5.5 percent from 3.9 percent; and c vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, 6.2 percent from 5.4 percent.

Moreover, oils and fats registered an annual price increase of 0.1 IR in March 2025, from 0.1 percent annual price decrease in the previous month. Sugar, confectionery and desserts recorded slower annual price decrease at 0.3 percent in March 2025 from 2.4 percent annual price decrease in February 2025.

The annual price decrease in food pulled down the regional IR for the bottom 30% income household in March 2025 by 0.65 percentage point. The food groups with the highest contribution to the annual price decrease in food during the month were the following: cereals and cereal products, which includes rice, corn, flour, bread, and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, with 245.7 percent share or -3.69 percentage points; and sugar, confectionery and desserts, with 0.6 percent share or -0.01 percentage point.

Relative to their IRs for the bottom 30% income households in February 2025,

The lone Highly Urbanized City of Tacloban and four (4) provinces, namely, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte recorded lower IRs in March 2025. Eastern Samar registered higher IR, while Biliran retained its previous month’s IR.

For this income group, Eastern Samar registered the highest IR among the provinces at 3.1 percent. This was followed by Biliran at 0.7 percent, Leyte at 0.3 percent,
Southern Leyte at 0.2 percent, and Northern Samar with 0.6 percent annual price drop off.

The lowest IR for this income group was noted in Samar at an annual price decrease of 1.2 percent.
Meanwhile, Tacloban City recorded 0.5 percent annual price decrease in March 2025. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY — House Deputy Majority Leader Jude Acidre of Tingog party-list group has voiced growing concern over the spread of disinformation on social media, warning that it is gradually eroding public trust in institutions and the nation’s collective sense of truth.
“I think it is incumbent upon Congress to find ways to address disinformation and misinformation, while also protecting the right to freedom of speech and the right to information,” Acidre said in an interview.

The lawmaker emphasized the need to strike a delicate balance between combating false information and safeguarding the public’s right to express criticism and opinions freely.
“We must find a careful balance on how we can address disinformation and misinformation, and at the same time protect individuals’ rights to express grievances or opinions about the government,” he said.

Acidre pointed out that ordinary citizens are among those most affected by the proliferation of false or misleading content online.

While the House tri-committee—comprising the committees on public order and safety, information and communications technology, and public information—has already initiated an inquiry into the matter, Acidre clarified that the effort is not aimed at silencing dissenting voices.

“Clearly, we are not against people speaking up against the government. But we are against those who use these platforms to deliberately destroy the government. That’s very different from responsibly expressing grievances,” he stressed.

(RONALD O. REYES)

ORMOC CITY– A newly identified drug personality landed in jail following a successful buy-bust operation conducted by the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of the Carigara Municipal Police Station on Tuesday night, April 8.

Police Major Reymund Quinagutan, Carigara chief of police, identified the suspect as alias “Zander,” 47, a laborer and resident of Barangay Baybay of said town.

The operation was carried out around 9:26 pm along the seawall in Barangay Baybay. Undercover operatives were able to purchase a sachet of suspected shabu worth P500 from the suspect. During a subsequent body search, conducted in the presence of mandatory witnesses, police recovered a cigarette pack marked “Chesterfield” from the suspect’s pocket.

Inside the pack were six additional sachets containing a white crystalline substance, also suspected to be shabu, along with the P500 buy-bust money.

Authorities estimated the total weight of the confiscated illegal drugs to be 0.70 grams, with a street value of approximately P4,760, based on Dangerous Drugs Board valuation.
The suspect was informed of the nature of his arrest and his constitutional rights through the Miranda Doctrine, delivered in a language he fully understood.

The Carigara police have filed charges for violation of Sections 5 (selling) and 11 (possession) of Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The suspect is now detained at the Carigara Municipal Police Station.

(ROBERT DEJON)