Food prices push Negros Occ. inflation to 6.4 percent

BACOLOD CITY — Inflation in Negros Occidental accelerated to 6.4 percent in September 2026 from 4.8 percent in August, driven mainly by higher prices for food, housing and utilities, and transport, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Oct. 15.

The reading is the highest for the province since October 2023, when inflation was 7.8 percent, based on the PSA’s historical table of monthly rates.

A year earlier, in September 2025, the province’s inflation rate was 1.4 percent.

Bacolod City posted a faster rate of 8.4 percent in September from 7.8 percent in August, compared with 1.1 percent in September 2025, according to the same release.

The increases matter because they are concentrated in necessities. Food and non-alcoholic beverages alone accounted for 62.1 percent share of the uptrend in the province’s inflation.

The squeeze is tighter for lower-income families. Inflation for the bottom 30 percent of income households reached 6.7 percent in Negros Occidental and 9.2 percent in Bacolod City, higher than the all-income rates of 6.4 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively.

For those households, food accounted for 75.5 percent share of the uptrend in the province and 80.7 percent in Bacolod City, compared with 62.1 percent and 53.7 percent for all households.

To put the rates in peso terms, a basket of goods that cost PHP 100 in September 2025 would cost about PHP 106.40 in Negros Occidental and about PHP 108.40 in Bacolod City in September 2026, at the headline rates.

Ligaya M. Gillesania, a statistical analyst at the PSA’s Negros Occidental Provincial Statistics Office, presented the figures at a press conference on Oct. 15.

Nationwide, inflation rose to 7.2 percent in September from 6.1 percent in August and 1.7 percent in September 2025.

The Negros Island Region, which groups Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, logged 6.9 percent, up from 5.8 percent in August and 0.8 percent a year earlier.

From January to September 2026, average inflation was 5.4 percent nationwide, 4.0 percent in the Negros Island Region, 3.1 percent in Negros Occidental, and 5.4 percent in Bacolod City, measured against the same nine months of 2025.

Three commodity groups drove the faster pace in Negros Occidental.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 4.6 percent in September from 2.3 percent in August.

Food alone climbed 4.7 percent from 2.0 percent in August. The group has a percent share of 32.5, according to the PSA presentation.

Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels rose 8.0 percent in September from 5.4 percent in August.

Within that group, electricity, gas, and other fuels increased 12.5 percent from 7.9 percent in August. The group has a percent share of 19.6.

Transport rose 9.6 percent in September from 9.0 percent in August. The group has a percent share of 12.9.

Operation of personal transport equipment, the transport category that includes fuel, increased 35.5 percent from 30.5 percent in August.

The top two contributors to the September rate were food and non-alcoholic beverages, at 4.6 percent from 2.3 percent with a 62.1 percent share, and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, at 8.0 percent from 5.4 percent with a 26.8 percent share.

Higher inflation was also recorded in alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 10.6 percent from 9.7 percent in August; clothing and footwear, 8.0 percent from 7.7 percent; furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance, 13.7 percent from 12.2 percent; health, 11.2 percent from 10.7 percent; information and communication, 3.4 percent from 2.9 percent; and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services, 6.0 percent from 5.6 percent.

Recreation, sport, and culture was the only group with lower inflation, at 13.1 percent in September from 13.5 percent in August.

Three groups retained their August rates: education services at -3.1 percent, restaurants and accommodation services at 3.9 percent, and financial services at 0.0 percent.

Inflation in the province fell as low as 0.0 percent in March, the lowest monthly reading this year, before climbing to 6.4 percent in September, with a dip to 3.5 percent in June along the way.

Before that, the rate was 0.5 percent in October 2025, 0.7 percent in November, and 1.2 percent in December.

In Bacolod City, two commodity groups drove the faster pace.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 6.8 percent in September from 5.9 percent in August. Food alone climbed 6.9 percent from 5.9 percent, and the group has a percent share of 27.1.

Transport rose 18.2 percent in September from 15.8 percent in August. The group has a percent share of 22.2.

Operation of personal transport equipment increased 44.9 percent from 36.8 percent in August.

The top three contributors to the September rate were food and non-alcoholic beverages, at 6.8 percent from 5.9 percent with a 53.7 percent share; transport, at 18.2 percent from 15.8 percent with a 37.8 percent share; and education services, at -4.9 percent from -6.3 percent with a 7.9 percent share.

Both education readings are negative, meaning prices were lower than a year earlier, though the decline narrowed in September.

Health also posted faster inflation, at 3.7 percent in September from 3.6 percent in August.

Lower inflation was recorded in alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 8.3 percent from 8.4 percent; furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance, 9.6 percent from 9.8 percent; information and communication, 2.7 percent from 2.8 percent; recreation, sport, and culture, 5.2 percent from 5.4 percent; and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services, 4.5 percent from 5.1 percent.

Four groups retained their August rates: clothing and footwear at 10.3 percent, housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 9.0 percent, restaurants and accommodation services at 12.4 percent, and financial services at 0.0 percent.

Inflation in Bacolod City has risen every month since February, when it was 0.1 percent. Before that, the rate was 1.2 percent in October 2025, 2.1 percent in November, and 2.7 percent in December.

The table below shows monthly inflation from January to September 2026 for all income households and for the bottom 30 percent of income households in both areas.

In Negros Occidental, bottom 30 percent households faced inflation of 6.7 percent in September, with an average of 2.5 percent from January to September 2026 against the same period in 2025.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 5.3 percent for those households from 2.1 percent in August, with a 44.9 percent contribution to inflation.

Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels rose 9.1 percent from 5.6 percent, with a 16.9 percent contribution.

The PSA put food at 75.5 percent share of the uptrend for those households, and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 20.3 percent.

In Bacolod City, bottom 30 percent households faced inflation of 9.2 percent in September, with an average of 5.3 percent from January to September 2026.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 9.2 percent from 8.3 percent in August, with a 47.6 percent contribution to inflation. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels rose 10.8 percent from 10.7 percent, with a 17.9 percent contribution.

In the PSA’s list of top contributors to the uptrend for those households, food had an 80.7 percent share, and transport, at 9.9 percent from 8.9 percent in August, had a 13.7 percent share.

The latest readings stand out against recent history. September inflation in Negros Occidental was 7.8 percent in 2022 and 7.6 percent in 2023 before easing to 3.2 percent in 2024 and 1.4 percent in 2025.

In Bacolod City, September inflation was 6.8 percent in 2022 and 6.4 percent in 2023. This year’s 8.4 percent is the highest since April 2023, when the rate was 8.7 percent.