ILOILO City – Western Visayas continued to show price stability in September despite a slight uptick in inflation, underscoring the region’s resilience amid fluctuating fuel and utility costs.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the region’s headline inflation rose to 0.2 percent in September 2025 from -0.3 percent in August, largely due to modest increases in electricity, water, and transport costs.
PSA Region 6 director Nelida Amolar said the uptick was mainly caused by slower declines in housing-related commodities and energy rates.
“The rise in inflation was driven by the Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels commodity group, which moved from -1.8 percent in August to -0.3 percent in September,” Amolar explained.
She noted that gradual rate adjustments in electricity and water have started to influence household budgets.
Another contributor was the Transport sector, which shifted from -1.0 percent to 1.5 percent.
“Higher petroleum prices and increased transport fares contributed to the movement of inflation in the region,” she said, adding that similar trends were also seen in other regions.
Other groups that showed higher inflation included Clothing and Footwear (2.7%), Recreation, Sport and Culture (3.7%), and Personal Care and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (2.9%), reflecting sustained household consumption.
However, food inflation remained at -2.5 percent, helping keep overall inflation low.
“The continued deflation in food prices, particularly rice, fish, and fruits, remains a major factor in keeping inflation low for the region,” Amolar emphasized.
For bottom 30 percent income households, inflation slightly improved to -2.3 percent from -2.6 percent in August, suggesting essential goods remained affordable.
“This means that our poorest households are still experiencing stable prices for their basic needs despite minor increases in utilities and transport,” Amolar said.
Across provinces, Iloilo posted the highest inflation at 0.5 percent, followed by Guimaras (0.4%) and Negros Occidental (0.3%), while Antique recorded the lowest at -2.2 percent.
In key urban areas, Iloilo City’s inflation rose from 1.7 percent to 2.1 percent, indicating stronger urban price activity.
Despite these slight movements, Amolar assured that the overall outlook remains steady.
“Our year-to-date average inflation stands at 1.6 percent, which is still within the low and stable range. This means prices in the region remain generally steady despite global and local factors,” she said.
She stressed that the PSA will sustain its vigilance in tracking market developments.
“The PSA will continue to keep track of these movements to ensure that policymakers and the public are guided by timely and accurate information,” Amolar said./PN
