The January 2025 inflation rate for all income households in Negros Occidental province decreased to 2.7 percent, while it expanded to 3.3 percent in Bacolod City, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed yesterday.
In December, Negros Occidental posted an inflation rate of 3.7 percent, while Bacolod City logged 2.4 percent.
The main sources of deceleration in Negros Occidental are restaurants and accommodation services, which remained at 9.7 percent, and food and non-alcoholic beverages, from 2.9 percent in December to 1.4 percent in January.
Meanwhile, the major contributors to January inflation are food and non-alcoholic beverages at only 1.4 percent, with a 66.3 percent share to overall inflation; and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 2.2 percent, with a 33.7 percent share.
On the other hand, the top sources of acceleration in Bacolod City are food and non-alcoholic beverages, from 1.2 percent in December to 2.9 percent in January; and restaurants and accommodation services, from 5.8 percent in December to 7.6 percent in January, with 30.1 percent and 19.8 percent share to the uptrend in inflation, respectively.
In a press briefing, PSA-Negros Occidental supervising statistical specialist Diesah Biaoco said the limited food supply from Negros Occidental following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in December could have driven up the prices of food in Bacolod City.
“The eruption of Mt. Kanlaon has an effect on the prices in Negros Occidental, although very minimal. It has a bigger effect in Bacolod City,” she said.
Biaoco said the PSA also monitored the implementation of the 60-day price freeze on basic necessities declared by the Department of Trade and Industry, following the declaration of a state of calamity in Negros Occidental due to the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.
The price freeze ended on February 11.
“Our price collectors went around Bacolod City and Negros Occidental. We determined if there were changes in the prices. We saw that the price freeze was observed,” she said. (PNA)