Negros Occidental inflation eases to 0.7 percent in January

Prices in Negros Occidental rose more slowly in January 2026, with inflation easing to 0.7 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Negros Occidental Provincial Statistical Office.

That was lower than 1.2 percent in December 2025 and 2.7 percent in January 2025, based on the Consumer Price Index for all income households (2018=100).

In simple terms, inflation is the rate at which the average prices of goods and services people usually buy go up compared with a year ago.

The PSA released the figures on Feb. 13, 2026, under Reference No. PR2026-02-1845-14, and said the numbers come from its Retail Price Survey of Selected Commodities.

For January 2026, the PSA listed inflation at 2.0 percent for the Philippines, 0.8 percent for the Negros Island Region, 0.7 percent for Negros Occidental, and 1.1 percent for Bacolod City, with year-to-date rates matching those same January readings.

The PSA said Negros Occidental’s slowdown was mainly due to Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, which eased to 0.2 percent in January 2026 from 1.0 percent in December 2025.

Another big factor was Transport, which moved to -0.8 percent in January 2026 from 1.6 percent in December 2025.

The PSA also said Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco slowed to 4.5 percent in January 2026 from 6.3 percent in December 2025.

Other groups that also slowed in Negros Occidental were Clothing and Footwear (0.7 percent from 1.7 percent) and Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (1.9 percent from 2.1 percent).

Some costs rose faster in the province, including Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (0.7 percent from 0.0 percent) and Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (2.8 percent from 1.1 percent).

The PSA also reported higher inflation for Health (2.4 percent from 2.2 percent), Recreation, Sport and Culture (3.8 percent from 1.9 percent), and Restaurants and Accommodation Services (1.0 percent from 0.7 percent).

Several groups stayed the same in Negros Occidental, including Information and Communication (0.3 percent), Education Services (-2.5 percent), and Financial Services (0.0 percent).

For Negros Occidental in January 2026, the PSA said the top two contributors to overall inflation were Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (4.5 percent from 6.3 percent) with a 27.0 share, and Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (0.2 percent from 1.0 percent) with a 14.6 share.

In Bacolod City, inflation also cooled to 1.1 percent in January 2026 from 2.7 percent in December 2025, and from 3.3 percent in January 2025, the PSA reported.

The PSA said Bacolod’s slowdown was mainly driven by Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (0.4 percent from 2.3 percent) and Restaurants and Accommodation Services (-0.7 percent from 3.3 percent).

It also cited Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, which eased to 2.9 percent from 3.8 percent in Bacolod City.

Other groups that slowed in Bacolod included Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (1.8 percent from 2.8 percent), Clothing and Footwear (1.5 percent from 2.2 percent), Health (0.1 percent from 2.5 percent), and Transport (-0.4 percent from 1.0 percent).

The PSA also reported lower inflation in Bacolod for Recreation, Sport and Culture (0.9 percent from 2.4 percent) and Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (3.3 percent from 4.5 percent).

One group that sped up in Bacolod was Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (3.1 percent from 1.9 percent).

Several Bacolod City groups held steady, including Information and Communication (-0.1 percent), Education Services (3.7 percent), and Financial Services (0.0 percent).

For Bacolod City, the PSA said the top two contributors to January 2026 inflation were Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (2.9 percent from 3.8 percent) with a 51.1 share, and Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (3.3 percent from 4.5 percent) with a 12.9 share.

The PSA’s historical table showed January inflation at 0.7 percent for Negros Occidental and 1.1 percent for Bacolod City in 2026, compared with 2.7 percent and 3.3 percent in January 2025, and 2.2 percent and 3.3 percent in January 2024.