Food inflation in Guimaras falls to -2.9%

Food prices in Guimaras continued to decline in October 2025, with inflation recorded at -2.9 percent for all-income households and -4.2 percent for low-income households.

The sustained deflation signaled easing costs of basic food commodities compared to the same month last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

“The decline in inflation for low-income households was largely driven by a sharper drop in the prices of cereals and cereal products, with -16.9 percent in October compared to -15.0 percent the previous month,” said Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare.

“The cereals and cereal products group contributed 68.7 percent to the October food inflation trend for the bottom 30 percent income households,” she added.

Other food groups that contributed to the deflation for low-income households included meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, which slowed to 1.8 percent from 3.2 percent.

Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses eased to -1.3 percent from -2.4 percent.

Milk, other dairy products and eggs dropped to 2.1 percent from 3.8 percent, while sugar, confectionery and desserts fell to -4.9 percent from -3.1 percent.

On the other hand, three food groups showed an uptick in inflation for low-income households: fish and other seafood (6.9 percent), fruits and nuts (-1.3 percent), and ready-made food and other food products (2.8 percent).

Only flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals (2.2 percent), along with oils and fats (0.1 percent), remained unchanged in October 2025.

Cereals and cereal products were the top contributors to the overall food inflation for low-income households, with a share of 170.2 percent or 7.15 percentage points.

Sugar, confectionery and desserts contributed 2.7 percent or 0.11 percentage point, while fruits and nuts added 1.1 percent or 0.05 percentage point.

For all-income households, food inflation was also mainly driven by a sharper decline in cereal prices, which registered a -15.6 percent rate in October from -13.8 percent in September.

“The cereals and cereal products group contributed 59.5 percent to the October food inflation trend for all-income households,” Losare said.

Other contributors to the downtrend were vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, which dropped to 13.7 percent from 16.4 percent.

Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals declined to 2.3 percent from 3.4 percent.

Milk, other dairy products and eggs fell to 2.1 percent from 3.5 percent, while sugar, confectionery and desserts went down to -3.1 percent from -1.9 percent.

Meanwhile, fish and other seafood (4.8 percent), fruits and nuts (-1.4 percent), and ready-made food and other food products (0.3 percent) showed a faster inflation trend.

Flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals (3.6 percent), and oils and fats (-0.3 percent) maintained their previous month’s rates.

Cereals and cereal products were the top drivers of food inflation for all-income households, contributing 194.6 percent or 5.64 percentage points.

Sugar, confectionery and desserts added 2.7 percent or 0.08 percentage point, while fruits and nuts accounted for 2.3 percent or 0.07 percentage point.

In Western Visayas, regional food inflation dropped from 5.4 percent in October 2024 to -2.2 percent in October 2025, signaling widespread relief in food prices.

Among the provinces, Aklan posted the steepest drop, from 4.2 percent to -4.2 percent.

Guimaras followed with a decline from 4.7 percent to -2.9 percent.

Antique’s food inflation dropped from 5.1 percent to -3.6 percent, Iloilo from 6.0 percent to -2.4 percent, and Capiz from 5.7 percent to -0.3 percent.

Iloilo City, the region’s lone highly urbanized city, reported a drop in food inflation from 4.0 percent in October 2024 to -0.2 percent in October 2025.

“Most provinces have been recording negative inflation rates since the second quarter of 2025, reflecting a continuous decline in food prices throughout the year,” Losare said.