Guimaras inflation for low-income households slows to 5.5%

GUIMARAS — Inflation among low-income households in Guimaras eased to 5.5% in September 2026 from 5.9% in August as slower price increases in food and several other commodity groups helped moderate overall inflation, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The slowdown provided some relief to households in the bottom 30% income bracket, although the prices of essential goods and services continued to rise.

“Despite the slowdown, the September rate remained higher than the -1.3 percent recorded in September 2025. The province’s year-to-date inflation rate from January to September 2026 stood at 3.1 percent,” Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare said.

“Guimaras recorded a lower inflation rate than both Western Visayas, which posted 11.7 percent, and the Philippines, which registered 9.0 percent during the month,” Losare added.

Food prices ease, transport costs accelerate

Inflation in food and nonalcoholic beverages slowed to 4.3% in September from 5.0% in August, helping moderate the province’s overall inflation rate for low-income households.

Health recorded a 2.4% decline in prices, reversing the 1.0% inflation registered in August.

Inflation in restaurants and accommodation services also eased to 1.1% from 2.5%.

Other commodity groups recorded slower inflation, including alcoholic beverages and tobacco, which declined to 6.5% from 7.6%.

Inflation in information and communication eased to 1.4% from 2.4%, while personal care and miscellaneous goods and services slowed to 8.1% from 8.8%.

Clothing and footwear inflation moderated to 2.4% from 2.9%, while recreation, sport and culture eased to 2.8% from 3.1%.

In contrast, inflation accelerated in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, reaching 6.1% in September from 4.3% in August.

Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance recorded faster inflation of 5.5%, up from 3.5%.

Transport inflation also increased to 22.7% from 21.0%, reflecting continued price pressures on transportation-related goods and services.

Meanwhile, inflation in education services remained unchanged at 2.8%, while financial services registered 0.0%.

Food remains biggest inflation contributor

Food and nonalcoholic beverages remained the largest contributor to inflation among low-income households in Guimaras in September 2026.

The commodity group accounted for 46.9% of overall inflation, equivalent to 2.58 percentage points of the 5.5% inflation rate.

Transport ranked second, contributing 24.8%, or 1.36 percentage points.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels followed with an 11.6% contribution, equivalent to 0.64 percentage points.

Combined, the three commodity groups accounted for 83.3% of overall inflation among low-income households in the province.

The figures indicate that food, transportation and housing-related expenses remained the primary drivers of price increases affecting lower-income families.

“Despite faster inflation in transport and housing-related expenses, the slowdown in food and several other commodity groups contributed to the easing of inflation among low-income households in September 2026,” Losare said.

Inflation rebounds from months of price declines

Losare said Guimaras recorded negative inflation among low-income households from September 2025 to February 2026.

The lowest rate during the period was negative 2.7% in November 2025.

Inflation gradually increased in the following months before reaching 0.0% in March 2026.

“The rate gradually increased in the succeeding months, reaching 0.0 percent in March 2026 before rising to 4.0 percent in April, 4.7 percent in May, and 5.7 percent in June. Inflation remained at 5.7 percent in July, increased to 5.9 percent in August, and eased to 5.5 percent in September,” Losare said.

The September figure marked the first monthly slowdown since inflation began accelerating in April, following a period of declining prices.

Despite the moderation, the positive inflation rate indicates that consumer prices remained higher than a year earlier.

Consumer price index reaches 140.9

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for households in the bottom 30% income bracket in Guimaras reached 140.9 in September 2026, using 2018 as the base year.

This means the average prices of goods and services commonly purchased by low-income households were 40.9% higher than their average levels in 2018.

The CPI measures changes in the prices of a representative basket of goods and services, while the inflation rate reflects the percentage change in the index compared with the same month of the previous year.

“The PSA generates the CPI and inflation statistics through its regular Retail Price Survey of Commodities. These statistics serve as important indicators for monitoring price movements and changes in the purchasing power of households,” Losare said.