Guimaras inflation for low-income families hits -1.4% in July

The inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households in Guimaras dropped to -1.4 percent in July 2025, the lowest in more than a year and a sharp decline from 8.5 percent in the same month last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare said the slowdown was mainly driven by lower year-on-year price changes in food and non-alcoholic beverages, which posted a -4.2 percent rate in July from -2.3 percent in June.

“The falling annual inflation rate of transport at -2.2 percent in July from 0.3 percent in the previous month, and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services at 1.3 percent from 1.5 percent, also contributed to the slowdown,” Losare said.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 89.7 percent of the downtrend in July, followed by transport at 9.8 percent and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services at 0.4 percent.

From June to July 2025, cereals and cereal products recorded a -12.1 percent inflation rate from -9.3 percent, fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment fell to -13.1 percent from -5.8 percent, and personal care slowed to 1.3 percent from 1.5 percent.

Slower annual price changes were also noted in health at 3.0 percent from 3.1 percent. Recreation, sport, and culture showed no movement at 0.0 percent from -0.1 percent in June.

Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (9.9 percent), clothing and footwear (1.3 percent), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (1.0 percent), furnishings and household maintenance (0.2 percent), information and communication (4.8 percent), education services (0.0 percent), restaurants and accommodation services (10.5 percent), and financial services (0.0 percent) all retained their previous month’s annual rates.

Losare said food and non-alcoholic beverages contributed 178.2 percent, or 2.50 percentage points, to the overall inflation rate for low-income households in July, with cereals and cereal products—particularly rice—posting the most significant drop.

Transport followed with a 9.0 percent contribution, or 0.13 percentage points, mainly from fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment, especially gasoline.

Western Visayas inflation fell to -1.1 percent in July from -1.0 percent in June and 5.5 percent a year earlier, marking its fourth consecutive month of decline. Guimaras posted -1.4 percent from -0.1 percent in June and 8.5 percent in July 2024, slightly below the regional average.

Aklan recorded the lowest inflation at -4.5 percent, followed by Antique at -2.7 percent. Capiz held steady at 0.0 percent, Iloilo province posted -0.2 percent, while Iloilo City was the only area with positive inflation at 3.5 percent.

“In July 2025, Guimaras posted a consumer price index (CPI) of 132.9, meaning a typical low-income Guimarasnon needed PHP 1,329 in July to purchase a basket of goods and services worth PHP 1,000 in 2018,” Losare said.