Guimaras’ average inflation rate flattens to 0.1 pct

The average inflation rate, or the annual rate of change in consumer prices, in Guimaras slowed to 0.1 percent in 2025, significantly lower than the 5.3 percent recorded in both 2023 and 2024, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

“In comparison with other geographic levels, the Philippines posted an average inflation rate of 1.7 percent in 2025, while Western Visayas recorded 1.5 percent, both higher than Guimaras’ annual inflation rate, indicating lower price increments in the province relative to the national and regional levels during the year,” said Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare.

Losare noted that Guimaras’s average inflation rate has generally fluctuated from 2018 to 2025.

Inflation declined from 5.3 percent in 2018 to 3.7 percent in 2019, edged up in 2020, and eased again in 2021.

“A sharp spike was observed in 2022 at 7.0 percent—the highest in the eight years—before settling at 5.3 percent in both 2023 and 2024. In 2025, inflation dropped significantly to 0.1 percent,” Losare said.

The sharp deceleration in 2025 was mainly driven by the food and nonalcoholic beverages group, which posted an annual average inflation of –1.7 percent, a steep drop from 7.5 percent in 2024—particularly due to the decline in rice prices.

“Other major contributors to the downward trend were housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, which posted –0.1 percent in 2025 from 3.2 percent in 2024, specifically electricity from all sources; and health, which eased to 1.8 percent from 6.7 percent a year earlier—especially inpatient curative and rehabilitative services,” Losare said.

Other commodity groups with slower average inflation in 2025 compared with 2024 were furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance at 0.0 percent from 2.2 percent; recreation, sport and culture at 0.9 percent from 9.0 percent; and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services at 1.4 percent from 2.3 percent.

“Also, the quicker average price of transport was due to the accelerating average rates of passenger transport by sea and inland waterway, and maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment,” Losare added.

Four commodity groups, however, recorded faster average inflation in 2025 than the previous year.

These were transport, which rose to 1.7 percent from 0.2 percent; information and communication at 1.9 percent from 1.1 percent; education services, which improved to –0.4 percent from –4.1 percent; and restaurants and accommodation services, which climbed to 6.1 percent from 5.3 percent.

Meanwhile, financial services retained their previous year’s inflation rate at 0.0 percent.

The top three commodity groups contributing to the overall average inflation in Guimaras in 2025 were restaurants and accommodation services (0.63 percentage point), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (0.52 percentage point), and transport (0.24 percentage point).

“Under restaurants and accommodation services, the faster average price movement in full-service restaurants, cafés and the like was identified as the major contributor to the group’s overall inflation,” Losare said.

“Meanwhile, the escalating average price of alcoholic beverages and tobacco was primarily attributed to fast-moving average rates of spirits and liquors,” she added.

Across Western Visayas, the region posted an average inflation rate of 1.5 percent in 2025, down from 3.7 percent in 2024.

Inflation levels varied across the region, ranging from –0.8 percent in Antique to 3.0 percent in Iloilo City.

Guimaras recorded 0.1 percent, Capiz posted 0.9 percent, Aklan registered –0.2 percent, and Iloilo province recorded a higher rate of 2.5 percent, indicating mixed price movements across the region.

Losare also reported that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Guimaras for 2025 was 132.6.

“The CPI measures the average change in the prices of goods and services commonly purchased by households over time,” she explained.

“This implies that a typical Guimarasnon household needs PHP 1,326 in 2025 to purchase the same basket of goods and services worth PHP 1,000 in 2018,” she said.

Losare added that the stability of the CPI from the previous month reflected the unchanged overall inflation rate in the province.

The purchasing power of the peso (PPP) in Guimaras declined to PHP 0.75 in 2025 from PHP 1.00 in 2018, which means that PHP 1.00 in 2025 could only buy goods and services worth 75 centavos in 2018 prices.