Guimaras: Guimaras' inflation rate accelerated to 1.6 percent in March, a jump from its 0.4 percent rate in February, bringing the average inflation for the first quarter of 2026 to 0.4 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

According to Philippines News Agency, Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida Losare highlighted that the latest movement indicates growing price pressures toward the end of the first quarter of the year. The acceleration in inflation was mainly driven by the sharp increase in transport costs, which surged to 18.2 percent from 6 percent in February 2026; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 2.4 percent from 1.2 percent; and food and non-alcoholic beverages with an uptick at -2.1 percent from -3.2 percent.

Transport recorded the largest share of the uptrend in inflation in March at 48.4 percent, mainly influenced by higher prices in the operation of personal transport equipment, particularly fuels and lubricants. Notably, diesel and gasoline registered significant increases during the month, while passenger transport services also exhibited price increases, especially in passenger transport by sea and inland waterways, further contributing to the rising inflation trend.

The commodity groups food and non-alcoholic beverages; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance; health; transport; personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, all posted an uptrend in inflation. On the other hand, alcoholic beverages and tobacco; recreation, sport, and culture; and restaurants and accommodation services recorded slower inflation rates in March at 3.2 percent from 6.1 percent, -2 percent from -1.9, and 6.3 percent from 14.3 percent, respectively.

Three commodities retained their February inflation rate, including information and communication at 1.8 percent, education services with 0.8 percent, and financial services at 0.0 percent. Losare explained that inflation is derived from the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures changes in the average prices of goods and services commonly purchased by households over time. In March, the CPI in Guimaras was recorded at 131.6, serving as the primary indicator used in computing the inflation rate, as it tracks movements in the prices of a fixed basket of goods and services typically consumed by households.

She added that this means a typical Guimarasnon household would need PHP1,316 in March to purchase the same basket of goods and services that cost PHP1,000 in 2018, the base year used in computing the CPI. Also, the purchasing power of the peso in Guimaras declined slightly to PHP0.74 in March from PHP0.75 in the previous two months, indicating a gradual weakening in the purchasing capacity of the peso during the first quarter of the year.

Overall, while inflation remained relatively manageable in the first quarter, the increase in March signals emerging price pressures that require close monitoring in the coming months, Losare stated.