Guimaras posts –4.8 percent food inflation in January

Food prices in Guimaras rose slightly in January 2026, with food inflation at –4.8 percent for all-income households, while inflation for low-income households slowed further to –6.1 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)–Guimaras said.

Despite the month-on-month uptick, food prices remained lower than in January 2025, reflecting continued year-on-year deflation in several staple food groups.

“The slight increase in food inflation for all income households compared to the previous month was largely driven by higher inflation in fish and other seafood, which rose to 6.4 percent from 3.5 percent in December 2025,” said Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare.

“This food group contributed 46.75 percent to the overall change in the province’s food inflation,” Losare further explained.

Inflation for vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses accelerated to 11.8 percent in January from 4.9 percent in December 2025, contributing 35.9 percent to the overall provincial inflation movement for all-income households.

Cereals and cereal products also pushed food inflation higher, with inflation easing to –16.6 percent from –17.2 percent in the previous month and posting 12.7 percent in the same period last year, while accounting for 16.6 percent of the total increase in food inflation.

For all-income households, other commodity groups that registered higher inflation rates in January than in December included cereals and cereal products, which posted the largest contribution at 115.7 percent, or –5.56 percentage points, fruits and nuts at 19.5 percent, or –0.93 percentage point, and meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 17.6 percent, or –0.85 percentage point.

“Additionally, among low-income households, the easing of the inflation rate was largely driven by lower inflation in meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, which drove 61.1 percent of the overall provincial inflation trend. This group posted a -7.2 percent inflation rate, a substantial decrease from the -1.1 percent recorded in the previous month and the 11.5 percent noted in the same month of the previous year,” Losare said.

Inflation for fruits and nuts fell to –15.4 percent in January from –11.6 percent in December 2025, contributing 13.6 percent to the overall provincial inflation movement for low-income households.

Milk, other dairy products, and eggs also helped temper food inflation as inflation slowed to –0.2 percent from 1.4 percent in the previous month, while posting 4.5 percent in the same period last year, accounting for 9.7 percent of the January 2026 food inflation trend among low-income households.

In contrast, several food commodity groups registered faster inflation rates in January than in December, including cereals and cereal products, which rose to –18.4 percent from –18.9 percent, fish and other seafood, which increased to 7.1 percent from 6.7 percent, vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses, which accelerated to 12.5 percent from 6.7 percent, and sugar, confectionery, and desserts, which moved up to –3.5 percent from –4.3 percent.

“For low-income households in Guimaras, several food commodity groups significantly contributed to the inflation rate in January 2026 compared with December 2025. Among these, cereals and cereal products recorded the largest contribution at 122.5 percent, equivalent to -7.47 percentage points,” Losare said.