Guimaras Food Prices Stable as May Inflation Holds at -2.1%

The food inflation rate in Guimaras remained at -2.1 percent in May 2025, unchanged from April, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“Among low-income households, food inflation slightly slowed to -2.3 percent in May from -2.2 percent in April,” Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare said.

The decrease was mainly due to a sharper decline in the prices of vegetables, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses, which posted a -7.1 percent inflation rate in May compared with -4.2 percent the previous month.

“This group contributed 42.8 percent to the overall food inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households,” Losare said.

Other contributors to the food inflation downtrend among low-income households included cereals and cereal products, which fell to -9.1 percent from -8.9 percent, and ready-made food and other food products, which slowed to 5.0 percent from 8.3 percent.

Top contributors to the food inflation rate for low-income households were cereals and cereal products with 3.81 percentage points (165.6 percent share), vegetables and similar items with 0.70 percentage points (30.5 percent share), and oils and fats with 0.14 percentage points (6.2 percent share).

For all income households, the leading contributors to food inflation were cereals and cereal products with 2.87 percentage points (136.8 percent share), vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses with 0.71 percentage points (33.9 percent share), and fish and other seafood with 0.12 percentage points (5.6 percent share).

Despite overall stability, specific food groups recorded varied price movements.

Annual increases were seen in meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (7.5 percent from 6.8 percent), fish and seafood (4.2 percent from 3.6 percent), fruits and nuts (6.2 percent from -0.1 percent), and sugar, confectionery, and desserts (-3.2 percent from -6.2 percent).

Conversely, slower inflation was recorded for milk, other dairy products, and eggs, which rose 5.6 percent, down from 9.4 percent.

Oils and fats posted a steeper decline at -8.6 percent from -6.5 percent, while vegetables dropped further to -7.0 percent from -4.7 percent.

Ready-made food and other food products also decreased to 1.2 percent, compared with 2.7 percent in April.

Losare added that food inflation in Western Visayas continued to decline in May 2025, with most provinces experiencing slower price increases or entering deflation.

Guimaras maintained a food inflation rate of -2.1 percent, its third consecutive month of deflation.

“This is a significant shift from May 2024, when Guimaras had the highest food inflation in the region at 11.6 percent,” Losare said.

“The province’s sharp reversal reflects a consistent downward trend in food prices over the past year.”

Aklan and Antique also remained in deflation in May, with deeper rates at -3.9 percent and -3.5 percent, respectively, both falling further from April and posting the most notable price drops in the region.

In contrast, Capiz and Iloilo continued to register positive food inflation at 2.1 percent and 1.0 percent, though both posted slower increases than the previous month.

“Compared with a year ago, all five provinces experienced sharp declines in food inflation, with year-on-year drops of more than 10 percentage points in Guimaras, Aklan, and Antique,” Losare said.

“While Capiz and Iloilo maintained upward price trends, the overall pace has eased significantly.”