FOOD INFLATION in Guimaras moved upward in March 2026, though it remained in negative territory. The shift was primarily driven by the rising cost of cereals and cereal products, specifically rice, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
For all-income households, food inflation rose to -2.5% from -3.6% in February. Similarly, the bottom 30% income households saw an increase to -3.7% from -4.8%.
Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare noted that cereals and cereal products — particularly rice — were the dominant contributors to inflation trends across both income groups.
“Cereals and cereal products remained the main driver of food inflation, as its upward movement largely influenced the overall trend during the month,” Losare said.
For all-income households, rice inflation recorded a rate of -15.7% in March, up from -19.6% the previous month. Within this group, rice accounted for a 58.8% share of the trend and a staggering 156.2% contribution to food inflation.
For the bottom 30% income households, the impact was even more pronounced. Rice registered an inflation rate of -16.1% (up from -20.1% in February), contributing 142.9% to the group’s overall food inflation.
Mixed trends across food groups
Aside from rice, other commodities contributed to the upward pressure in March:
* Fruits and nuts rose to -2.2% from -9.1%.
* Vegetables and tubers increased to 15.9% from 13.5%.
* Fish and other seafood edged up to 6.1% from 5.2%.
* Ready-made food jumped to 1.5% from -0.8%.
Conversely, some categories saw a decrease or easing in prices for all-income earners:
* Meat and slaughtered land animals dropped to -11.5% from -6.4%.
* Milk, dairy, and eggs eased to -0.9% from 0.0%.
* Oils and fats slid to -0.3% from 0.4%.
For the province’s low-income earners, the cost of bakery products and pasta also rose slightly to 7.4% from 7.1%. However, they saw relief in the “fish and other seafood” category, which slowed to 5.0% from 5.6%, while oils and fats remained stable at 1.7%.
Despite the slight monthly uptick, Losare clarified that the overall situation remains stable compared to last year.
“Despite the monthly increment, food inflation in Guimaras remained negative, indicating that food prices were still generally lower compared to the same month of the previous year,” she added./PN
