PHILIPPINE inflation rate eased in May this year on the back of slower increases in fuel and food costs seen during the period, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported yesterday.
At a press briefing, National Statistician and PSA chief Claire Dennis Mapa said inflation — the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services — slowed down to 6.8% last month from 7.2% in April 2026.
May’s inflation print brought the year-to-date rate to 4.5%, surpassing the government’s comfortable ceiling of 2% to 4%.
The Transport index saw a rate of 21.4% in April. The slowdown in Transport inflation was due to slower price increases in diesel at 58.5% from 122.7% and gasoline at 51.6% from 59.6%.
Food and Non-Alcoholic beverages also contributed to the downtrend with a rate of 5.7% down from 6% in April; while Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels index posed a slower rate of 7.8% from 8.2% month-on-month.
Meanwhile, food inflation, which tracks the movement of prices in a “food basket” commonly purchased by households, also slowed to 5.8% in May from 6.1% in April, largely driven by slower price increases for vegetables at 6.2% from 10.4%, fish at 8.8% from 9.4%, and meat at -2.5% from -1.9% amid oversupply in key producing areas.
However, price pressures on several key staples persisted such as rice inflation which rose to 15.6% from 13.7% and corn inflation at 25.5% from 21.0%.
Inflation also increased for flour, bread, and other cereals, bakery, and pasta products at 3.5% from 3.0%, underscoring the need to sustain interventions to improve agricultural productivity and strengthen food security. (GMA News)
