Manila: The June 2026 inflation rate for all income households in Negros Occidental decelerated to 3.5 percent, while this highly urbanized city's rate slightly increased to 7.1 percent, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday showed.

According to Philippines News Agency, in Negros Occidental, last month's headline inflation followed the 4.2 percent recorded in May. The downtrend in overall inflation was primarily attributed to the lower year-on-year growth rate in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which dropped to 1.7 percent in June 2026 from 1.8 percent in the previous month. Among the bottom 30 percent income households, the inflation rate decreased to 3.0 percent in June 2026 from 3.4 percent in May, due to similar trends in food and non-alcoholic beverage indices.

In contrast, Bacolod City experienced an acceleration in headline inflation, rising to 7.1 percent in June 2026 from 7.0 percent in May. The increase was mainly due to a higher year-on-year growth rate in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose to 6.0 percent from 5.9 percent in the previous month. For the bottom 30 percent income households in this city, the inflation rate increased to 7.8 percent in June 2026 from 7.2 percent in May, largely driven by a rise in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages to 7.6 percent from 7.3 percent.

PSA-Negros Occidental supervising statistical specialist Diesah Biaoco explained that the main drivers for lower inflation in the province include the prices of restaurants, electricity, and transport. She noted that consumers prioritized enrollment and school needs, while electricity rates and gasoline prices also saw a decline.

Meanwhile, Biaoco highlighted that a significant driver for higher inflation in Bacolod City is housing rental, due to renewed demand for boarding house leases. Additionally, prices in restaurants, especially fast-food chains, contributed to the inflationary uptick.