ILOILO City – Rising utility bills and higher service costs pushed Western Visayas’ inflation rate upward at the start of 2026, with headline inflation climbing to 2.3 percent in January from 1.8 percent in December, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Western Visayas reported.
The acceleration signals renewed price pressures in the region, driven not by food costs but by increases in housing, electricity, gas, and dining expenses — a shift that underscores how household budgets are being squeezed in other essential areas.
Despite the month-on-month uptick, the January 2026 inflation rate remains significantly lower than the 4.0 percent recorded in January 2025.
According to PSA Western Visayas, the faster annual increase was primarily attributed to higher indices in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, along with restaurants and accommodation services and furnishing, household equipment and routine household maintenance. These sectors accounted for the bulk of the upward movement in the consumer price index.
Additional price pressures were observed in alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; health; information and communication; and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services.
In contrast, inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages — which carries the heaviest weight in the consumer basket — slowed during the month, helping temper the overall increase. A lower inflation rate was also recorded in recreation, sport and culture.
Prices in transport, education services, and financial services remained steady compared to the previous month, reflecting relative stability in those sectors.
The PSA said January’s data indicate moderate inflationary pressures in Western Visayas, largely fueled by higher utility and service costs rather than food prices, which traditionally exert the strongest impact on overall inflation.
Authorities continue to monitor commodity price movements as the region adjusts to economic conditions in the early months of 2026./PN