Negros Occidental posts negative inflation for poor households in October

Inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households in Negros Occidental dropped to -0.3 percent in October 2025, reversing the 1.0 percent rate in September and plunging from 4.2 percent in October 2024, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The PSA said the decline was driven mainly by food and non-alcoholic beverages, which registered -1.5 percent inflation in October from 0.6 percent in September and contributed 96.0 percent to the province’s overall deflation.

The agency added that housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels recorded -0.7 percent inflation in October from -0.5 percent the previous month, further pulling the overall rate down.

Bacolod City posted a deeper deflation for low-income households, with inflation sliding to -0.4 percent in October from -0.3 percent in September, a reversal from the 3.8 percent inflation recorded in October 2024.

The PSA said food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the largest contributor to Bacolod’s deflation, posting -3.6 percent inflation in October from -3.2 percent in September and accounting for 80.2 percent of the city’s overall decline.

It added that personal care and miscellaneous goods and services posted 5.1 percent inflation in October, slightly lower than the 5.8 percent rate in September, contributing 12.7 percent to the overall figure.

The PSA said inflation measures the year-on-year percentage change in the Consumer Price Index, which tracks the average price movement of commonly purchased goods and services.

It explained that negative inflation, or deflation, occurs when prices fall compared to the same period the previous year.

The agency noted that the CPI for the bottom 30 percent income households uses a separate market basket and weighting system to reflect the spending patterns of lower-income families.