The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said demand during the holiday season and recent tropical cyclones pushed up food prices in Palawan last December.
PSA Palawan Officer in Charge and Supervising Statistical Specialist Oscar Gatpandan said prices were affected because much of the food supply delivered to Puerto Princesa City comes from towns that experienced high inflation.
He added that increased consumer spending during the holiday season played a significant role in the movement of food prices.
“Alam naman natin kapag December ay matataas ang demand, marami ang pambili, ang spending ay mas accessible sa ating mga produkto at serbisyo,” he said.
Palawan’s inflation rate increased from 1.9 percent in November to 2.4 percent in December 2025.
The main contributor to inflation in Palawan was the food and non-alcoholic beverages group, which includes vegetables, fish and other seafood, and meat.
This was followed by increases in accommodation services and information and communication services.
Despite the slower pace of inflation recorded in Puerto Princesa City, vegetables continued to post the highest inflation among commodities.
The city’s inflation rate stood at 3.5 percent in November and eased to 3.1 percent in December 2025.
Gatpandan said tropical cyclones, particularly those in November, affected the supply of vegetables, especially eggplants.
“May impact talaga ang sama ng panahon, isa rito ay ang supply chain natin. Apektado ang ating mga produkto. Ang tendency ay mag-i-import tayo ng mga produkto, may mga pumapasok sa atin,” Gatpandan said.
Other commodity groups that helped slow inflation in the city included housing, utilities, and transport, particularly fuels and sea passenger transport.
Meanwhile, inflation in MIMAROPA also eased from 1.6 percent in November to 1.3 percent in December. (PIA Mimaropa)
