The December 2024 inflation rate for all income households in highly-urbanized Bacolod City eased further to 2.4 percent while Negros Occidental province’s went slightly higher to 3.7 percent, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

In Bacolod, the inflation rate in November settled at 2.7 percent, from 3.2 percent in October, while Negros Occidental recorded three percent in November, after 3.5 percent in October.

In a press briefing, John Campomanes, chief statistical specialist of PSA-Negros Occidental, said the top major contributor to last month’s inflation was the food and non-alcoholic beverages commodity group at only 1.2 percent, with a share of 87.7 percent to overall inflation.

Food inflation in the city decelerated to 0.9 percent in December, from 2.8 percent in November.

Another contributor is housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at -0.5 percent, with 10.7 percent share, as inflation for electricity, gas and other fuels settled at -1.5 percent in December, from -0.4 percent in November.

On the other hand, the top major contributor to the 3.7 percent inflation in Negros Occidental is housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 4.2 percent, with a 49.3 percent share to overall inflation.

In December, inflation for electricity, gas and other fuels in the province increased to 9.6 percent, from only 4.2 percent in November.

The two other contributors are transport, 0.3 percent, with a 25.9 percent share, and food and non-alcoholic beverages, 2.9 percent, with 19.3 percent share.

Inflation is the annual rate of change or the year-on-year change of the consumer price index expressed in percent and interpreted in terms of the declining purchasing power of money. (PNA)