Guimaras Inflation for Low-Income Households Hits 4.3%

Inflation for low-income households in Guimaras reached 4.3% in December 2024, up from 3.9% in November, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The province’s annual inflation for 2024 averaged 6.6%, reflecting significant price fluctuations throughout the year.

Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare attributed the increase to a 6.1% rise in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices, up from 4.4% in November. She noted that other factors included transport inflation, which climbed to 1.7% from -0.2%, and clothing and footwear, which increased to 1.6% from 0.1%.

Food items accounted for 82.8% of December’s inflation growth, while transport and clothing and footwear contributed 11.7% and 3.4%, respectively.

Other notable increases were recorded in furnishings, household equipment, and routine maintenance, which rose to 1.7% from 0.9%, and personal care, along with miscellaneous goods and services, which edged up to 2.7% from 2.5%.

In contrast, slower inflation was observed in:

• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco: 1.4%, down from 3.0%.
• Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels: 2.9%, down from 8.6%.
• Health: 1.9%, down from 2.7%.
• Restaurants and accommodation services: -5.9%, down from -0.6%.

Four commodity groups—information and communication, recreation and culture, education services, and financial services—maintained their November inflation rates.

Major Contributors to Inflation

Food and non-alcoholic beverages were the largest contributors to December’s inflation, accounting for 85.8% of the increase, or 3.69 percentage points. A 17.7% spike in rice prices significantly influenced food costs.

Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels contributed 7.8%, or 0.33 percentage points, driven by a 7.6% increase in electricity prices across coal, solar, and hydro sources.

Information and communication added 2.6%, or 0.11 percentage points, primarily due to an 18.7% rise in equipment for sound and video recording and reproduction.

Regional Comparisons

Inflation rates in Western Visayas varied in 2024, with Guimaras recording the highest rates in January (5.5%), March (8.5%), May (8.8%), and September (6.0%). Antique posted higher rates in February (7.6%), March (8.5%), and April (9.1%). Aklan saw the highest inflation in June and July at 8.9% and 8.7%, respectively.

Iloilo recorded elevated inflation in August, October, and November at 7.4%, while Iloilo City had the highest rate in December at 5.1%.

Despite these fluctuations, Iloilo City experienced the lowest inflation rates in the region for eight months, from January to August.

Cost of Living in Guimaras

Losare explained that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Guimaras in December 2024 stood at 136.2. This means a low-income Guimarasnon needed PHP 1,362 to purchase a basket of goods worth PHP 1,000 in 2018.

Guimaras remains a focal point for inflation trends in Western Visayas, with food and energy prices playing critical roles in shaping the economic landscape for low-income households.