1. Guimaras Inflation for Bottom 30% Income HHs 

The Guimaras inflation for the bottom 30% income HHs moved slower to 6.4 percent in August 2024 from 8.5 percent in July 2024, bringing the provincial average inflation to 7.6 for low-income from January to August 2024. In August 2023, the said inflation rate was slower at 5.4 percent. (Figure 1 and Table 1)

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

The slow inflation in August 2024 for the low-income HHs was primarily influenced by the dwindling year-on-year price changes in the heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages at 7.9 percent during the month, from 12.5 percent in July 2024. The decreasing annual inflation rate of Transport at -1.3 percent in August 2024 from 4.7 percent in the previous month also contributed to the slower overall inflation of the bottom 30% income HHs.

Likewise, Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance posted 1.8 percent inflation lower against 2.4 percent in July 2024.

Other commodities which showed gradual increase in inflation rates for low income HHs in August 2024 were:

    a. Recreation, Sport and Culture, 12.4 percent from 13.3 percent 

    b. Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services 3.6 percent from 3.7 percent

In contrast, six commodity groups showed faster rates in August 2024 against the previous month’s data: 

   a. Clothing and Footwear, 2.5 percent from 2.3 percent 

   b. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, 8.1 percent from 0.7 percent 

   c. Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance, 8.1 percent from 0.7          percent 

   d. Health, 1.4 percent form 0.1 percent

   e. Information and Communication, 2.3 percent from -0.5 percent 

   f. Education Services, 5.4 percent from -7.8 percent

Moreover, Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, Restaurants and Accommodation Services, and Financial Services retained their previous month’s annual rates.

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

The top three commodity groups with major contribution to the August 2024 overall bottom 30% income HHs inflation were the following:

   a. Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages with 75.2 percent share contributed 4.81 percentage points;

   b. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels with 14.7 percent chipped in 0.94 percentage            points; and 

   c. Restaurants and Accommodation Services, with 2.8 percent share added 0.18 percentage                  points.

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

Iloilo, Antique, and Guimaras posted the highest inflation for low-income HHs among the six provinces of Western Visayas (WV) with 7.4, 6.7 and 6.4 percent, respectively, followed closely by Aklan with 5.9 percent. 

Negros Occidental and Capiz reported the lowest inflation for the bottom 30% income HHs in WV, recording 4.9 and 5.2 percent, correspondingly. 

In terms of inflation trend from July to August 2024, the province with the fastest inflation increment was Iloilo, with 3.5 percentage points from 3.9 to 7.4 percent inflation. 

Followed by Capiz with a slump of -0.2 percentage points from 5.4 to 5.2 inflation and Negros Occidental with -0.5 percentage points gap from 5.4 to 4.9 percent inflation. 

Aklan showed the slowest rate changes with a -2.8-percentage points difference from 8.7 to 5.9 percent inflation, followed by Guimaras which showed -2.1 percentage points change from 8.5 to 6.4 percent annual price change, and also Antique with -0.9 percentage points break from 7.6 to 6.9 percent inflation. 

Meanwhile, from January 2024 to August 2024, all provinces posted an erratic movement on their headline inflation rates. (Figure 2.)