Guimaras' food inflation further declined, reaching -2.1 percent in April 2025 

The food inflation rate in Guimaras further declined to -2.1 percent in April 2025, down from -0.9 percent in the previous month. This marks a significant drop of 9.5 percentage points from the 11.6 percent recorded in April 2024. Since the beginning of the year, food inflation in the province has exhibited a consistent downward trend. See Table 1 and Figure 1.

Primary Factors Driving the Decrease in Food Inflation

The drop in April 2025 food inflation in Guimaras was mainly due to a sharp decline in the prices of cereals and cereal products, which recorded an inflation rate of -8.1 percent, down from -3.2 percent in March. This category accounted for 83.2 percent of the overall decrease in food inflation. The decline was largely driven by rice prices, which fell to -10.8 percent from -4.5 percent in the previous month—a steep drop from the 30.6 percent recorded in April 2024. See Table 2.

Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses also contributed to the overall slowdown, with inflation easing to -4.7 percent in April 2025 from -0.2 percent in March and 13.8 percent in April 2024.

Similarly, inflation for Sugar, confectionery and desserts dropped to -4.3 percent in April 2025, down from -2.5 percent the previous month.

In contrast, the following food items recorded faster inflation rates in April 2025 compared to March 2025:

a) Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 6.6 percent from 5.1 percent; 

b) Fish and other seafood, -1.1 percent from -3.1 percent; 

c) Milk, other dairy products and eggs, 5.3 percent from 5.2 percent in the previous month; and 

d) Fruits and nuts, 0.4 percent from -3.4 percent.

Main Contributors to Food Inflation in April 2025

The three commodity groups with the highest contribution to the April 2025 overall food inflation were the following:

a) Cereals and cereal products, with a 127.5 percent contribution or 2.7 percentage points; 

b) Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 20.7 percent contribution or 0.4 percentage point; and 

c) Fish and other seafood with 12.5 percent contribution or 0.3 percentage point.

Capiz records the highest food inflation in Western Visayas in April 2025

In April 2025, food inflation in Western Visayas dropped noticeably compared to the same month last year. Aklan, Antique, and Guimaras, which had high inflation in April 2024—10.8 percent, 11.5 percent, and 11.6 percent—now show negative rates. Aklan recorded -0.8 percent, Antique -1.7 percent, and Guimaras -2.1 percent, meaning food prices went down. See Figure 2.

Capiz also experienced a deflation, dropping from 6.4 percent to 3.1 percent. Iloilo and Iloilo City saw smaller declines, with Iloilo's rate falling from 7.6 percent to 2.3 percent. Iloilo City maintained an inflation rate of 2.9 percent in both April 2024 and April 2025, which is lower than its March 2025 rate of 4.1 percent.

The food inflation rate for the bottom 30% income households in Guimaras declined to -2.2 percent in April 2025 from -0.2 percent in the previous month. In April 2024, the food inflation for low-income households in the province was recorded at 12.7 percent. See Table 3.

The slowdown in food inflation for low-income households in Guimaras in April 2025 was primarily driven by the slower price increase in cereals and cereal products, which recorded an inflation rate of -8.9 percent, down from -3.6 percent in the previous month and from 25.6 percent inflation in April 2024. This commodity group accounted for 86.0 percent of the total food inflation for low-income households in April 2025. See Table 4.

The downtrend in food inflation for the bottom 30% income households in April 2025 was also influenced by slower price movements in several food commodity groups. Notably, Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses registered a -4.2 percent inflation rate, easing from 0.8 percent in March 2025.

In addition, Sugar, confectionery and desserts experienced a deeper decline, with inflation dropping to -6.2 percent, compared to -3.7 percent in the previous month. Similarly, ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified (n.e.c.) saw inflation ease from 9.1 percent in March 2025 to 8.3 percent in April 2025.

Meanwhile, the inflation rate for Oils and fats remained stable at -6.5 percent in both March and April 2025, indicating no significant month-on-month change.

Meanwhile, food items with accelerating food inflation rate in April 2025 from March 2025 for low-income households in Guimaras were Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals at 6.8 percent from 5.1 percent in March 2025; Fish and other seafood at 3.6 percent from 1.8 percent; Milk, other dairy products and eggs at 5.6 percent from 5.4 percent; and Fruits and nuts at -0.1 percent from -3.9 percent in the previous month.

On the other hand, the top three commodity groups contributing to the April 2025 overall food inflation for low-income Households were the following:

1. Cereals and cereal products, with a 169.4 percent contribution or 3.7 percentage points;

2. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 17.8 percent contribution or 0.4 percentage point; and

3. Sugar, confectionery and desserts with 6.9 percent contribution or 0.2 percentage point.

In April 2025, food inflation rates for the bottom 30% income households across Western Visayas showed significant variations across provinces and the highly urbanized city.

Capiz posted the highest food inflation rate in the region at 3.7 percent. This was followed closely by Iloilo City, with an inflation rate of 2.7 percent, and Iloilo province, at 1.4 percent. See Figure 4.

In contrast, Antique recorded the lowest food inflation rate, registering a deflation of -6.3 percent. Aklan also posted negative inflation at -5.8 percent, while Guimaras recorded a food inflation rate of -2.2 percent.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) for low-income households in Guimaras

Prices of goods and services in Guimaras for the bottom 30% income households have increased by 33.6 percent from the base year 2018 to April 2025. To afford the same basket of goods and services consumed in 2018 worth PhP1,000.00, low-income households in Guimaras need an additional amount of Php336.00 in April 2025. See Table 5.

The consumer price index or CPI is a measure of change in the average retail prices of a fixed basket of commodities or goods and services commonly purchased by the households relative to a base year or base period. CPI allows individuals, businesses, and policymakers to understand inflation trends, make economic decisions, and adjust financial plans accordingly.

The CPI is also used to adjust other economic series for price changes. For example, CPI components are used as deflators for most personal consumption expenditures in the calculation of the gross domestic product. Moreover, it serves as a basis to adjust the wages in labor management contracts, as well as pensions and retirement benefits. Increases in wages through collective bargaining agreements use the CPI as one of their bases.