Negros Occidental, Bacolod inflation accelerate in April

BACOLOD CITY — Inflation quickened in both Negros Occidental and Bacolod City in April 2026, with the province’s headline rate rising to 3.2 percent and the city’s rate surging to 7.1 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority-Negros Occidental reported.

Negros Occidental’s inflation climbed from 0.0 percent in March and 2.1 percent in April 2025, while Bacolod’s rate more than doubled from 3.4 percent in March and was higher than the 2.2 percent posted a year earlier.

For all-income households, the PSA reported April 2026 inflation at 4.1 percent for the Philippines, 1.5 percent for the Negros Island Region, 3.2 percent for Negros Occidental, and 7.1 percent for Bacolod City.

Year-to-date inflation for all-income households stood at 3.9 percent nationwide, 2.0 percent in the Negros Island Region, 1.1 percent in Negros Occidental, and 2.9 percent in Bacolod City.

The PSA defines the consumer price index as a measure of changes in the average retail prices of a fixed basket of commonly purchased goods and services relative to a base year or base period, with the current reports using 2018 as the base year.

The PSA said inflation refers to the annual, or year-on-year, change in the CPI expressed in percentage, and a lower positive inflation rate means prices still increased year-on-year but at a slower pace than in the previous month.

The CPI for the bottom 30 percent income households uses a separate market basket and weights to measure changes in prices of goods and services commonly purchased by families in the bottom 30 percent income decile.

DRIVERS

In Negros Occidental, transport was the main driver of the April uptrend, with inflation rising to 13.9 percent from 5.2 percent in March.

Restaurants and accommodation services in the province rose to 5.7 percent from 2.4 percent, while housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels increased to 2.1 percent from 0.4 percent.

The PSA presentation further showed that operation of personal transport equipment in Negros Occidental surged to 57.2 percent in April from 23.7 percent in March, contributing 36.3 percent to the inflation acceleration.

Food and beverage serving services rose to 5.7 percent from 2.5 percent and accounted for a 14.1 percent share, while electricity, gas, and other fuels increased to 4.5 percent from negative 1.2 percent and contributed 9.8 percent.

The top contributors to Negros Occidental’s April inflation were food and nonalcoholic beverages, at 0.4 percent from negative 3.1 percent; transport, at 13.9 percent from 5.2 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, at 2.1 percent from 0.4 percent.

The PSA presentation listed their shares to the uptrend at 49.8 percent for food and nonalcoholic beverages, 22.6 percent for transport, and 9.2 percent for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels.

Other Negros Occidental commodity groups with higher inflation were alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 4.4 percent from 2.6 percent; clothing and footwear, 5.0 percent from 2.8 percent; and furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance, 8.7 percent from 7.4 percent.

Health rose to 6.1 percent from 4.6 percent, information and communication to 2.1 percent from 0.4 percent, recreation, sport, and culture to 11.9 percent from 10.6 percent, restaurants and accommodation services to 5.7 percent from 2.4 percent, and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services to 4.0 percent from 2.9 percent.

Education services in Negros Occidental remained at negative 2.5 percent, while financial services stayed at 0.0 percent.

In Bacolod, the April increase was driven by transport, which climbed to 24.2 percent from 14.1 percent in March.

Food and nonalcoholic beverages in Bacolod increased to 5.2 percent from 1.5 percent, while housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels rose to 6.9 percent from 3.8 percent.

The PSA presentation showed operation of personal transport equipment in Bacolod rose to 65.2 percent in April from 43.0 percent in March, with a 34.8 percent share in the acceleration.

Food in Bacolod rose to 4.8 percent from 0.9 percent and contributed 25.1 percent, while electricity, gas, and other fuels increased to 19.3 percent from 12.2 percent and contributed 20.0 percent.

The PSA identified Bacolod’s top contributors as food and nonalcoholic beverages, 5.2 percent from 1.5 percent, with a 35.2 percent share in the presentation and 35.3 percent in the press release; transport, 24.2 percent from 14.1 percent, with a 25.5 percent share; and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 6.9 percent from 3.8 percent, with a 20.4 percent share.

Other Bacolod commodity groups with faster annual increases were alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 6.0 percent from 2.6 percent in the presentation and from 2.8 percent in the press release; clothing and footwear, 5.4 percent from 3.3 percent; and furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance, 9.0 percent from 8.7 percent.

Health rose to 3.1 percent from 0.9 percent, information and communication to 1.1 percent from 0.3 percent, recreation, sport, and culture to 3.2 percent from 2.6 percent, restaurants and accommodation services to 2.2 percent from negative 1.9 percent, and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services to 3.9 percent from 2.9 percent.

Education services in Bacolod remained at 3.7 percent, while financial services stayed at 0.0 percent.

Inflation also rose among the bottom 30 percent income households, with Negros Occidental posting 2.2 percent in April from negative 1.4 percent in March and 2.0 percent in April 2025.

For the same income group, Bacolod’s inflation accelerated to 5.9 percent in April from 1.9 percent in March and 1.8 percent in April 2025.

For bottom 30 percent income households, the PSA reported April 2026 inflation at 8.5 percent for the Philippines, 3.8 percent for the Negros Island Region, 2.2 percent for Negros Occidental, and 5.9 percent for Bacolod City.

Year-to-date inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households stood at 4.2 percent nationwide, 1.1 percent in the Negros Island Region, 0.2 percent in Negros Occidental, and 1.9 percent in Bacolod City.

For Negros Occidental’s bottom 30 percent income households, transport rose to 9.0 percent from 2.0 percent and contributed 26.6 percent to inflation.

Restaurants and accommodation services rose to 6.7 percent from 3.6 percent and contributed 22.9 percent, while alcoholic beverages and tobacco increased to 4.8 percent from 2.8 percent and contributed 11.0 percent.

The top contributors for Negros Occidental’s bottom 30 percent income households were food and nonalcoholic beverages, 0.4 percent from negative 4.0 percent, with a 71.3 percent share to the uptrend; transport, 9.0 percent from 2.0 percent, with an 11.7 percent share; and restaurants and accommodation services, 6.7 percent from 3.6 percent, with a 6.5 percent share.

For Bacolod’s bottom 30 percent income households, food and nonalcoholic beverages rose to 5.2 percent from 1.0 percent and contributed 43.4 percent to inflation.

Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels increased to 8.4 percent from 5.0 percent and contributed 21.5 percent, while transport rose to 11.8 percent from 4.4 percent and contributed 19.4 percent.

The top contributors to the April uptrend for Bacolod’s bottom 30 percent income households were food and nonalcoholic beverages, with a 54.4 percent share; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, with a 14.9 percent share; and transport, with a 14.7 percent share.