Legazpi: Inflation in the Bicol Region surged to 7.6 percent in April 2026, up from 4.1 percent in March, primarily due to rising prices in food, transport, and housing-related commodities, as stated by an official from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

According to Philippines News Agency, PSA 5 (Bicol) director Cynthia Perdiz revealed in a press conference that food and non-alcoholic beverages were the major contributors to the inflation increase, accounting for 47 percent of the uptrend. Transport followed with a 26.1 percent contribution, while housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels contributed 23.6 percent.

Within the food and non-alcoholic beverages category, cereals and cereal products saw a 10 percent inflation, while fish and other seafood experienced a 7.8 percent rise. The transport sector's inflation was largely due to a significant increase in gasoline prices by 57.7 percent and diesel by 121.4 percent, alongside a 7.3 percent rise in other passenger transport by road.

The housing category also influenced the inflation rise, with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) showing a 45.1 percent increase and rental costs growing by 6.8 percent. Perdiz highlighted that rice, gasoline, restaurants and cafes, rentals, and LPG were the top contributors to the April inflation rates.

Perdiz also mentioned that the recent activity of Mayon Volcano could potentially impact inflation, especially in the agricultural sector. She noted that disruptions in agricultural areas might necessitate sourcing products from other regions, leading to additional transport costs and affecting prices.

Other commodity groups that experienced higher inflation included alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 6.9 percent; clothing and footwear at 2.6 percent; recreation, sports, and culture at 4.8 percent; restaurants and accommodation services at 10.3 percent; and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services at 5 percent.

Among the food categories, rice inflation stood at 13 percent, oils and fats at 18.2 percent, flour, bread, and other bakery products at 2.9 percent, fish and other seafood at 7.8 percent, and ready-made food products at 4.6 percent. Within the Bicol provinces, Camarines Sur recorded the highest inflation rate at 8.9 percent, followed by Camarines Norte at 7.5 percent, Sorsogon at 7.3 percent, Albay at 6.8 percent, Catanduanes at 6.3 percent, and Masbate at 6.2 percent.