Guimaras Inflation Rate Drops to 0.6% in February 2025

The inflation rate in Guimaras province dropped to 0.6% in February 2025 from 2.7% in January, bringing the average inflation for the first two months of the year to 1.7%, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

“The overall inflation decline in February 2025 was mainly driven by a slower year-on-year price change in food and non-alcoholic beverages, which stood at 0.7% compared to 4.2% in January,” Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare said.

Losare added that transport costs, which fell to -0.8% from 2.4% in January, and restaurant and accommodation services, which declined to -8.0% from -5.7%, also contributed to the lower inflation rate.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 79.6% of the inflation slowdown, while transport and restaurant and accommodation services contributed 10.1% and 5.2%, respectively.

“From January to February 2025, inflation was primarily influenced by slower price movements in key sectors,” Losare said. “Rice inflation eased to 4.9% from 16%, passenger transport by sea and inland waterways dropped to -11.2% from 42.4%, and restaurant and café services recorded -8.2% inflation from -5.9%.”

Inflation also slowed in three other commodity groups: housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels (2.1% in February from 2.6% in January); health (-1.0% from -0.4%); and recreation, sports, and culture (1.1% from 4.1%).

However, some items saw a faster inflation rate in February compared to January:

• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco: 4.8% from 4.6%
• Clothing and footwear: 2.4% from 2.3%
• Furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance: -0.1% from -0.4%
• Personal care and miscellaneous goods and services: 1.8% from 1.7%

Other commodities retained their previous month’s inflation rates: information and communication (3.3%), education services (0.0%), and financial services (0.0%).

In February 2025, the province’s overall inflation rate was mainly influenced by three major sectors. Food and non-alcoholic beverages contributed 57.2%, or 0.34 percentage points, driven by a 5.1% decline in rice prices (excluding NFA rice, regular milled). Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels followed at 54.3%, or 0.33 percentage points, with electricity prices playing a key role at 4.8% inflation. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco accounted for 27.2%, or 0.16 percentage points, driven by a 6.4% inflation rate in spirits and liquors.

Losare also noted that core inflation in Guimaras dropped to 0.8% in February from 1.5% in January, signaling a slowdown in underlying price pressures.

“Core inflation excludes volatile items such as food and energy, providing a clearer perspective on long-term price trends,” Losare explained.

Compared to February 2024, Guimaras’ core inflation dropped significantly from 3.8% to 0.8%. The transport sector had the highest impact on inflation at 35.5%, followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages (32.2%) and restaurant and accommodation services (24.9%). The health and recreation sectors also recorded slower price movements in February 2025.

Guimaras posted the sharpest inflation decline in Region VI, dropping from 7.2% in March 2024 to 0.6% in February 2025. Antique also saw a major decrease from 6.7% in April 2024 to 0.0% in February 2025. Meanwhile, Aklan and Capiz experienced moderate trends, peaking at 6.4% and 4.7%, respectively, before settling at 1.4% and 2.7% in early 2025. Iloilo and Negros Occidental maintained steadier inflation rates, with Iloilo easing from 5.6% in August 2024 to 4.5%, while Negros Occidental dropped from 4.9% in July 2024 to 2.0%.

“The inflation rate reflects the change in the consumer price index (CPI), which measures the cost of goods and services over time,” Losare said. “Guimaras posted a CPI of 133.3 in February 2025, meaning a typical household needed PHP1,333 to buy goods and services that cost PHP1,000 in 2018.”

She added that the province’s purchasing power of the peso (PPP) remained at 0.75 in February 2025, showing a slight depreciation from 0.74 in January. In February 2024, PPP was also at 0.75.