ILOILO City – Inflation in Western Visayas remained unchanged at 2.7 percent in March, the same rate recorded in February, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Regional Statistical Services Office 6.
PSA Statistical Specialist II Miguel Gallego I said the region’s overall inflation stayed steady despite mixed movements in prices across commodity groups.
“There was no movement in the headline inflation. This is due to offsetting trends — some commodity groups posted higher inflation, while others went down,” Gallego explained.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages, which comprise 40 percent of the average consumer basket, registered a 2.5 percent inflation rate, slightly up from February’s 2.4 percent. Prices of vegetables, meat, and fish rose during the month.
On the other hand, inflation for restaurants and accommodation services slowed to 3.4 percent from 4.0 percent, while transport costs saw a significant decline, from 1.0 percent in February to -1.1 percent in March.
Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels showed a notable increase in inflation from 2.9 percent in February to 4.1 percent in March, driven by a 7.5 percent jump in electricity costs.
Among provinces, Iloilo recorded the highest inflation at 4.2 percent, while Antique posted the lowest at -0.1 percent.
Gallego noted that monitoring these trends helps provide a clearer picture of how inflation impacts various sectors. “These numbers are more than just statistics — they reflect the cost pressures households face every day,” he added.
Inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households slightly rose to 2.8 percent in March, up from 2.4 percent in February.
The PSA emphasized that it will continue to provide accurate and timely inflation data to guide policymakers, businesses, and consumers in their economic decisions./PN