Guimaras food inflation rises slightly to –5.1 percent in December

Food prices in Guimaras increased slightly in December 2025, with food inflation reaching –5.1 percent for all-income households and –5.9 percent for low-income households, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Despite the month-on-month uptick, prices remained lower than in December 2024.

“The slight increase in food inflation for all-income households in Guimaras for December 2025 was largely due to faster inflation in cereals and cereal products, which rose to –17.2 percent from –19.2 percent in November 2025,” said Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare.

“This food group contributed 76.3 percent to the overall change in the province’s food inflation,” Losare added.

Other commodity groups also contributed to the increase. Fish and other seafood recorded an inflation rate of 3.5 percent, up from 3.0 percent in November, accounting for 11.1 percent of the total food inflation in Guimaras.

Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses also drove inflation higher, registering a 4.9 percent inflation rate, up from 4.1 percent the previous month.

In contrast, meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals recorded a deflation of –0.5 percent, down from 0.4 percent, while fruits and nuts saw a sharper decline to –13.1 percent from –3.4 percent in November.

For all-income households, the top contributors to overall food inflation were cereals and cereal products, with a 114.1 percent contribution or 5.82 percentage points; fruits and nuts, with a 13.4 percent contribution or 0.68 percentage point; and meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, contributing 1.3 percent or 0.07 percentage point.

“Additionally, among low-income households, the inching up of the inflation rate was largely driven by cereals and cereal products, which reached –18.9 percent in December 2025, up from –20.8 percent in November,” Losare said.

This group contributed 70 percent to the overall food inflation for low-income households.

Fish and other seafood, ready-made food, and other food products also significantly affected the monthly increase in food inflation among low-income households.

Fish and other seafood accounted for 19.5 percent of total inflation in this income group, posting a 6.7 percent inflation rate, up from 5.6 percent.

Ready-made food and other food products contributed 6.4 percent, rising to 7.8 percent from 4.8 percent in November.

Some commodity groups, however, posted slower inflation.

Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals fell to –1.1 percent from –0.2 percent, while fruits and nuts dropped further to –11.6 percent from –2.9 percent.

Milk, other dairy products, and eggs remained unchanged at 1.4 percent in both November and December.

At the regional level, food inflation in Western Visayas rose from –1.2 percent in November to 1.0 percent in December, reflecting higher prices during the holiday season.

Among the provinces, Iloilo recorded the highest jump in food inflation, rising to 1.9 percent from –2.1 percent.

Antique also posted an increase to 0.7 percent from –1.9 percent, followed by Iloilo City, which rose to 1.8 percent from 0.9 percent.

Aklan’s rate climbed to –0.4 percent from –0.9 percent; Capiz increased to 1.6 percent from 1.1 percent; and Guimaras edged up to –5.1 percent from –5.6 percent.

“Since the second quarter of 2025, inflation rates in most provinces have been on a continuous decline. However, due to higher food prices during the holiday season, all provinces recorded an increase in inflation rates,” Losare said.