MANILA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' headline inflation slightly increased to 1.4 percent in June, up from 1.3 percent in May, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Friday.

"This brings the national average inflation rate from January to June 2025 to 1.8 percent," the PSA said in a statement.

PSA chief Dennis Mapa said the modest uptick in overall inflation was mainly due to the higher year-on-year increase in the index of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, which rose to 3.2 percent in June from 2.3 percent in the previous month.

Also contributing to the rise was the slower decline in transport costs, which posted a 1.6 percent annual drop in June compared to 2.4 percent in May.

Food inflation at the national level eased to 0.1 percent in June from 0.7 percent in the prior month. Rice, in particular, recorded a steeper deflation of -14.3 percent, compared to -12.8 percent in May, according to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said government measures to stabilize food supply, boost agriculture, and improve logistics helped ease food inflation.

"While the continued easing of food inflation is encouraging, we will maintain our vigilance against possible external and domestic risks. Volatile global markets and climate-related disruptions affecting fuel and electricity costs continue to threaten price stability," Balisacan added. ■