Tacloban: Eastern Visayas recorded a 0.2-percent inflation rate in August 2025, up from July's rate of -0.2, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday. The increase is primarily attributed to the higher prices in the transport commodity group, which rose to 0.4 percent from a 2.1-percent decline in the previous month.

According to Philippines News Agency, the adjustment in the transport commodity group was largely influenced by the increase in the inflation rate of passenger transport services, which climbed from -0.5 percent to 1.9 percent. The slower annual price decrease of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which went from 0.9 percent in July to 0.5 percent in August, also contributed to the regional inflation uptrend.

Zonia Salazar, PSA Eastern Visayas Supervising Statistical Specialist, noted that the faster inflation rate of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 0.2 percent, up from zero inflation in the previous month, further supported the regional inflation increase. Four out of the region's six provinces reported higher inflation rates in August.

Among these provinces, Samar experienced the highest inflation rate, rising to 1 percent from -0.5 percent in July. Eastern Samar's rate increased to 0.8 percent, up from -0.4 percent. Biliran's rate climbed to -0.5 percent from -1.1 percent during the same period, while Leyte's inflation rate slightly rose to 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent. Southern Leyte's rate increased to -0.2 percent from -0.9 percent. Tacloban, the region's lone highly urbanized city, saw its inflation rate rise to 0.6 percent from 0.2 percent the previous month.

Northern Samar was the only province to register a decrease in inflation, dropping from -0.2 percent in July to -1 percent in August. The inflation rate, defined as the annual rate of change or year-on-year change in the consumer price index, indicates the pace of price changes over a year.

Contrary to common belief, the PSA clarified that low inflation does not necessarily mean commodity prices are decreasing; rather, it indicates that prices continue to rise but at a slower rate.