Eastern visayas: Eastern Visayas posted an 8.3-percent inflation rate in July 2026, up from June's rate of 7.0 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday. The increase was primarily driven by the higher inflation rate in housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, which rose to 9.6 percent in July from 5.4 percent in June.
According to Philippines News Agency, the July uptrend in the inflation rate was also significantly influenced by a 7.7-percent increase in food inflation, up from 6.7 percent in the previous month. "The uptrend in the regional food inflation rate in July 2026 was mainly driven by the faster inflation rate in rice, which climbed to 20.4 percent during the month from 16.7 percent in June. The higher inflation rate of fish and other seafood at 8.2 percent from 6.9 percent also contributed to the uptrend of the regional food inflation," PSA Region 8 chief statistical specialist Mae Almonte stated in a press briefing.
Five of the region's six provinces experienced higher inflation rates in July. Samar led with the highest rate at 13.3 percent, up from 10.2 percent in June. Biliran's inflation rate also increased to 12 percent in July from 11 percent in August. Meanwhile, Northern Samar's rate surged to 8.5 percent during the same period from 5.0 percent, and Eastern Samar's inflation rate rose to 8.2 percent from negative 5.8 percent in June. The province of Leyte logged a slight increase in its inflation rate from 6.0 percent in June to 6.3 percent in July.
Conversely, Southern Leyte was the only province in the region to register a drop in the inflation rate, falling to 8.5 percent from 8.8 percent over the past two months. Tacloban, the lone highly urbanized city in the region, also recorded a decrease in its inflation rate, registering 4.1 percent in July, down from 5.0 percent the previous month.
The July 2026 inflation rate is the second-highest recorded by the PSA since 2018, with the highest being logged in April 2026 at 8.5 percent. The inflation rate reflects the annual rate of change or the year-on-year changes in the consumer price index, indicating how fast or slow prices change over time. Contrary to common perception, the PSA clarified that low inflation does not necessarily mean decreasing commodity prices; rather, it implies that prices continue to rise but at a slower pace.
