Bacolod city: Food, transport, and education services have driven the inflation rate in the Negros Island Region (NIR) to 5.6 percent in July, up from 4.9 percent in June, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Meanwhile, Negros Oriental's inflation rate saw a slight deceleration to 6 percent, as revealed by PSA's Chief Statistical Specialist, Ariel T. Fortuito, during a press conference.
According to Philippines News Agency, Fortuito highlighted that the inflation rate for all income households in Negros Oriental was pegged at 6 percent in July, which is slightly lower than the 6.2 percent recorded in June but significantly higher than the -0.3 percent noted in July 2025. The deceleration in Negros Oriental was primarily influenced by food and non-alcoholic beverages, which recorded a 7.1 percent inflation rate and accounted for a 65.6 percent contribution to the downward trend. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, as well as the transport sector, also played significant roles in the deceleration.
The food and non-alcoholic beverages commodity group saw corn inflation rise to 28.8 percent in July from 27.8 percent in June, while rice inflation slightly decreased to 13.1 percent from 16.6 percent in June. In the transport sector, gasoline inflation eased slightly to 37.1 percent in July, down from 40 percent in June. The education services commodity group observed a significant increase in tertiary education inflation, jumping to 42.5 percent in July from 31.3 percent the previous month.
Food inflation in Negros Oriental eased slightly to 7.3 percent, compared to 8 percent in June, driven mainly by rice at 13.1 percent and meat and other slaughtered land animal products which experienced a deflation of -3.8 percent. The inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent of households was recorded at 7.7 percent in July, down from 8.4 percent in June. The main contributors to this deceleration were the same groups affecting the overall household inflation rate.
In the broader NIR, which includes the provinces of Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, and Bacolod City, the inflation rate was noted at 5.6 percent in July. Ma. Goretti M. Novilla, Chief Statistical Specialist of the Statistical Operations and Coordination Division of PSA-NIR, pointed out that food and non-alcoholic beverages were the main contributors to the inflation uptrend in the region, with a 4.7 percent inflation rate accounting for a 40 percent share. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, alongside education services, also contributed to the increase.
In July, Bacolod City recorded a 7.3 percent inflation rate, slightly higher than the 7.1 percent in June. Siquijor province's inflation rate dropped to 8.3 percent from 9.5 percent in June, while Negros Occidental's inflation rose to 4.6 percent in July from 3.5 percent in June.
