Negros Occidental Inflation Slows, Bacolod Holds Steady

BACOLOD CITY – The inflation rate in Negros Occidental declined to 2.0% in February 2025 from 2.7% in January, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Negros Occidental.

The province’s inflation rate was also lower than the 2.3% recorded in February 2024.

Meanwhile, Bacolod City’s inflation rate remained at 3.3% for both January and February 2025, slightly higher than the 3.1% recorded a year earlier.

PSA Negros Occidental Supervising Statistical Specialist Diesah S. Biaoco shared the findings during a press conference on March 14.

Inflation refers to the rate at which the general price level of goods and services rises over time, reducing the purchasing power of money. A higher inflation rate means consumers pay more for the same products, while a lower rate indicates slower price increases.

Deflation, on the other hand, occurs when prices decline, which can indicate weaker demand or economic slowdown.

Trends in Negros Occidental

In Negros Occidental, the biggest inflationary driver was Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels, which rose to 3.1% from 2.2% in January, accounting for 26.0% of inflation. This means households faced higher costs for rent, utilities, and fuel.

Restaurants and Accommodation Services also played a significant role, though its inflation dropped sharply to 4.4% from 9.7% in January, contributing 16.0%. This suggests that while dining and lodging costs were still rising, they did so at a slower pace.

Education Services maintained an inflation rate of 18.4%, with a 12.1% share, indicating that tuition and other education-related expenses remained high.

Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, despite a lower inflation rate of 0.4% from 1.4% in January, remained the leading contributor with a 45.3% share. This means food prices were increasing, but at a slower rate.

The transport sector saw deflation at -0.6%, down from 0.5% in January. This means transportation costs became cheaper, helping to ease overall inflation.

 

Trends in Bacolod City

In Bacolod City, Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages remained the main driver of inflation at 2.9%, maintaining a 29.5% share. This shows that food prices were a key factor in the city’s cost of living.

Restaurants and Accommodation Services increased to 8.1% from 7.6% in January, making up 20.7% of total inflation.

The inflation rate for Education Services remained high at 14.9%, contributing 14.3%.

Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels inflation also rose to 1.5% from 0.1% in January, meaning utility costs slightly increased.

Transport costs fell further into deflation at -1.1% in February, down from 0.7% in January, exerting downward pressure on inflation.