22 May 2025– Guimaras. Food inflation in Guimaras continued declining in April 2025, posting a -2.1% for all income households and -2.2% for low-income households, down from -0.9% and 1.0% respectively in March, marking the second consecutive month of deflation in the province based on the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The downtrend was driven primarily by declining prices for major food items. Cereals and cereal products, particularly rice, posted continued price drops in the low-income and all-income groups.

“For low-income households in Guimaras, the continued drop in food inflation was mainly driven by rice, which plunged to -11.0% in April 2025 from -4.3% in March, contributing a substantial 86.0% to the downward trend, this was followed by onions and shallots (fresh or chilled), which dropped significantly to -12.3% from 53.4%, contributing 7.5%, and cane sugar, which declined to -7.1% from -4.2%, with a 1.9% share in the overall decrease,” said Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare.

“For all-income households, the same top three commodities influenced the decline: rice eased to -10.8% from -4.5%, contributing 83.1%; onions and shallots also fell to -12.3% from 53.4%, contributing a slightly higher 8.7%; while cane sugar matched the low-income trend at -7.1% from -4.2%, sharing 1.9%,” Losare added.

The 8.3% inflation in ready-made food and other food products contributed to the deceleration of food inflation among low-income households. Likewise, the slower inflation in oils and fats (4.6%) and in ready-made food and other food products (2.7%) helped ease food inflation across all income households. While oil and fats showed constant inflation for low-income households.

“Notably, the inflation rate for oils and fats remained steady among low-income households, indicating a consistent price trend within this segment,” Losare said.

In contrast, rising prices were observed in key food groups such as meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, fish and other seafood, and milk, dairy products, and eggs, affecting both low-income and all-income households. Also, the cost of fruits and nuts continued to increase for all income levels.

PSO Losare also expounded that for all income households, the top three contributors to the overall April 2025 food inflation were cereals and cereal products, which contributed 127.5% or -2.68 percentage points, followed by vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses that imparted 20.7% or -0.43 points, and fish and other seafood chipping in 12.5% or -0.26 points.

“For the bottom 30% income households, the top contributors to the overall April food inflation were cereals and cereal products, which supplied 169.4 % or at -3.73 percentage points, followed by vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, contributing 17.8% or -0.39 percentage points, and sugar, confectionery and desserts splitting 6.9% or -0.15 percentage points,” Losare said.

Food inflation in Western Visayas keeps going downward in April 2025, with several provinces and highly urbanized cities (HUCs) recording continued declines or negative inflation rates.

Aklan and Antique registered the sharpest food deflation, with rates of -4.6% and -4.4%, respectively. Guimaras also sustained its downward movement, posting -2.1%, following -0.9% in March 2025— marking two consecutive months of food price deflation in the island province.

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental recorded a low food inflation rate of 1.2%, continuing its easing trend. Among the highly urbanized cities, Bacolod City posted 0.8%, slightly lower than its March rate of 1.6%, while Iloilo City remained steady at 2.9% for the third consecutive month.

Conversely, Capiz (3.1%) and Iloilo Province (2.3%) continued to post positive food inflation, though at lower levels when compared to previous months.

“These figures highlight the region’s broad movement toward food price stability, with Guimaras emerging as one of the provinces achieving consistent and notable relief for consumers”, Losare said.