One Peso Now Only 75 Centavos in Value

The Philippine peso has lost some of its purchasing power, valued at only Php0.75 as of March 2026.

In a hybrid press conference about Philippine inflation held by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on 07 April 2026, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Dennis S. Mapa informed that the shrunk power of Philippine currency compared with its full value in 2018 was brought about by current ballooning inflation in the country, reported at 4.1% in March 2026.

“’Yong average natin na estimated purchasing power of peso nitong March [2026] ay nasa 0.75. Ang ating base dito ay 2018. ‘Yon na ‘yong overall effect ng inflation rate simula no’ng 2018 hanggang ngayon March,” explained Mapa.

[“The average estimated purchasing power of peso last March was around 0.75. Our base in this is 2018. That was the overall effect of inflation rate from 2018 to March 2026.”]

The PSA chief reported that headline inflation rate in the country rose to 4.1% in March 2026, nearly doubled from February 2026’s 2.4% and more than twice of March 2025’s 1.8%.

The speedy climb of inflation, said Mapa, was primarily driven by the increase of transport cost, contributing 54.8% of the inflation rate.

The rise in the price of food and nonalcoholic beverages also led to the fast increment, representing 26.9%.

Higher cost of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels likewise pumped up inflation, throwing in 12.7% of the recorded rate.

As peso now valued at only around 75 centavos, Filipinos are expected to spend 25% more to acquire commodities and services.