Philippine inflation falls to 2.1% in Feb

The Philippines' inflation rate continued its downward trend, easing to 2.1% in February from 2.9% in January, driven by lower prices of food, utilities, and transportation.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto noted that the sustained downward trend confirms proactive measures are delivering results, particularly for vulnerable sectors.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan assured the government will continue efforts to manage inflation but warned of potential risks from typhoon activity expected in the coming months.

The latest data showed that food price inflation eased significantly to 2.6% from 3.8%, with rice prices falling by 4.9%.

Utilities and transport costs also moderated, contributing to the overall deceleration of inflation.

Despite the positive trend, analysts remain cautious about the timing of potential interest rate cuts due to global uncertainties.