1. Guimaras Inflation for Bottom 30% Income HHs 

The Guimaras inflation for the bottom 30% income HHs moved faster to 4.3 percent in December 2024 from 3.9 percent in November 2024, bringing the provincial average inflation for low-income from January to December 2024 to 6.6 percent. In December 2023, the said inflation rate was at 6.1 percent. (Figure 1 and Table 1) 

1.1 Main Drivers to the Upward Trend of the Bottom 30% Income HHs’ Inflation 

The faster inflation for the low-income HHs in December 2024 was primarily influenced by the increasing year-on-year price changes in the heavily weighted Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages at 6.1 percent during the month, from 4.4 percent in November 2024. The rapid annual inflation rate of Transport at 1.7 percent in December 2024 from -1.2 percent in the previous month also contributed to the inflationary surge of the bottom 30% income HHs. Likewise, fast-moving inflation rates in two other commodity groups: furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance at 1.7 percent in December from 0.9 percent in November 2024, and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services at 2.7 percent from 2.5 percent in November 2024 also contributed.

In contrast, the following were the items with slower inflation in December than in November 2024:

• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 1.4 percent from 3.0 percent 

• Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 2.9 percent from 8.6 percent

• Health, 1.9 percent from 2.7 percent

• Restaurants and accommodation services, -5.9 percent from -0.6 percent 

Moreover, the four (4) other commodities retained their previous month’s inflation rate: 

• Information and communication, 5.5 percent 

• Recreation, sport and culture, 4.7 percent • Education services: 0.0 percent, and 

• Financial services; 0.0 percent).

1.2 Main Contributors to the Bottom 30% Income HHs’ Inflation

The largest contributor to the faster inflation for low-income households in Guimaras was food and non-alcoholic beverages at 85.8 percent of the province’s inflation rate, or 3.69 percentage points contribution, with the notable surge pushed by a significant 17.7 percent increase in rice prices, impacting overall food costs. 

Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels followed closely at 7.8 percent, or 0.33 percentage points contribution to the inflation, with a significant impact from electricity prices across all sources—coal, solar, and hydro—showing an inflation rate of 7.6 percent. 

Lastly, information and communication contributed 2.6 percent, or 0.11 percentage points, to the overall inflation, wherein the increase was largely driven by a remarkable 18.7 percent inflation rate in Equipment for the reception, recording and reproduction of sound and vision.

2. Bottom 30% Income HHs’ Inflation per province in Region VI

While inflation rates in Western Visayas fluctuated significantly throughout 2024, four (4) provinces experienced relatively higher inflation rates according to data presented in Figure 2, which shows the inflation rate for the bottom 30% of income households in the region by province and HUCs, using 2018 as the base year. 

Comparing inflation for the low-income household in the region, Guimaras recorded the highest inflation rates in four months: January (5.5%), March (8.5%), May (8.8%), and September (6.0%), while Antique recorded higher inflation rates in February (7.6%), March (8.5%), and April (9.1%).

Iloilo also exhibited higher inflation rates in August and October at 7.4 percent each and in November at 5.1 percent, while Aklan got the highest inflation rates in June and July at 8.9 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively. Furthermore, Iloilo City posted the highest inflation rate in December at 5.1 percent. 

Iloilo City exhibited dynamic patterns, enjoying the lowest inflation rates among the six provinces and two HUCs of the region for eight months, from January until August. See Figure 2