1. Guimaras Food Inflation

The food inflation rate of Guimaras province went down to 0.6 percent in February 2025 from 4.3 percent in January 2025, bringing the provincial average of food inflation for the first two months of 2025 at 2.4 percent. The food inflation rate for February 2024 was at 9.0 percent. (Figure 1).

1.1 Main Drivers to the downtrend of Food Inflation

The deceleration of food inflation in February 2025 was primarily influenced by the monthly price change on Cereals and cereal products with 4.2 percent inflation during the month, from 12.7 percent in the previous month, accounting for 74.6 percent share in the February 2025 food inflation of Guimaras. Followed by Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals with 6.4 percent inflation during the month of February from 10.5 percent in the previous month.

Also sharing to the downtrend of food inflation were the slower price movements in Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses with 1.0 percent from 8.1 percent in January 2025 with 11.7 percent share to February 2025 food inflation.

Seven commodity sub-groups showed a huge decrement in their February inflation rates compared to its January level:

a) Cereals and Cereal Products at 4.2% from 12.7%; 

b) Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (ND) at 6.4% from 10.5% 

c) Milk, other dairy products and eggs, 4.0% from 4.2%; 

d) Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses (ND), 1.0% from 8.1%; and 

e) Sugar, confectionery and desserts (ND) at -2.4% from -4.6%. f) Oils and Fats (ND) at -3.8% from -1.1% g) Fruits and nuts at -0.5% from -0.2%

In contrast, two subgroups posted uptrend in the February inflation, namely:

a. The Ready-made food and other food products n.e.c. (ND) at 4.8% from the 3.8%, in January 2025. 

b. Fish and other seafood (ND), -8.3% from -8.6%

1.2 Main Contributors to Food Inflation in February 2025

The top three commodity groups that contributed to the February 2025 overall food inflation were the following:

a) Cereals and cereal products with 158.8 percent contribution or 0.95 percentage points; 

b) Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals with 82.9 percent contribution or 0.50 percentage points; and 

c) Milk, other dairy products and eggs with 29.0 percent contribution or 0.17 percentage points.

2. Guimaras Core Inflation

Core food inflation, which excludes selected food items, slowed to 1.6 percent in February 2025 from 2.5 percent in the previous month. In February 2024, core food inflation was higher at 3.1 percent. (Table 1)

3. Food Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households

The food inflation rate for Guimaras' bottom 30% income households moved slower to 1.4 percent in February 2025 from 5.8 percent in the previous month. In February 2024, the food inflation for low-income HHs was at 9.6 percent, higher by 8.2 percentage points compared to the 1.4 percent in February of the current year.

The deceleration of food inflation for low-income HHs in Guimaras in February 2025 was primarily influenced by the sluggish price change in Cereals and cereal products with 4.6 percent inflation during the month, from 13.9 percent in the previous month, accounting for an 83.1 percent share in the February 2025 food inflation for low income HHs in Guimaras. Followed by Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals with 7.0 percent inflation during the month from 11.5 in previous month.

Also sharing to the downtrend of food inflation for bottom 30% income HHs were the slow price movement in Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 0.8 percent from 6.1 percent in January 2025 with 6.6 percent share to February 2025 food inflation for low income.

Other commodities with gradual decrease in food inflation rates for low-income HHs in February from January 2025 were Oils and Fats with -7.3 percent inflation from -3.4 percent; Fish and other seafood with -5.9 percent from -5.8 percent; Fruits and nuts with -1.0 percent from -0.6 percent; and Milk, other dairy products and eggs with 4.3 percent from 4.5 percent;

Food items with accelerating inflation rate in February from January 2025 were:

a) Sugar, confectionery and desserts, -3.5 percent from -6.8 percent; and 

b) Ready-made food and other food products, 9.8 percent from 7.7 percent.

On the other hand, the top three commodity groups contributing to the February 2025 from January 2025 overall food inflation for low income HHs were the following:

a) Cereals and cereal products, with 115.9 percent contribution or 1.62 percentage points; 

b) Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals with 36.5 percent contribution or 0.51 percentage points; and 

c) Ready-made food and other food products with 14.3 percent contribution or 0.20 percentage points.