Pagtaas

Pagtaas is a Filipino noun that denotes an increase or rise in something. It derives from the root taas (high, rise) with the prefix pag-, which marks an action, event, or process. In usage, pagtaas is typically followed by ng to indicate what is increasing: pagtaas ng presyo (increase in prices), pagtaas ng sahod (salary increase), pagtaas ng interes (increase in interest rates).

In economic and public discourse, pagtaas is commonly used to describe changes over time, such as inflation, tax changes, or wage adjustments. The term can carry neutral, positive, or negative connotations depending on the subject; for example, pagtaas ng sahod may be welcomed as higher earnings, while pagtaas ng presyo o buwis may be viewed unfavorably by consumers.

Pagtaas also appears in policy discussions and news reporting to summarize shifts in the cost of living, consumer goods, or financial costs. It is distinct from verbs that express the act of raising, such as itaas, which is used to describe the action of lifting something, whereas pagtaas refers to the event or process of rising itself.

Related terms include pagbaba (decrease) and pagbabago (change), which are used to describe opposite or broader shifts. Pagtaas is a common, neutral descriptor in everyday language and media when discussing changes in economic indicators, wages, and prices.