Inflation rates for all income households in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental province slowed in August, with food and non-alcoholic beverages as the main sources of deceleration, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

In a press briefing, PSA-Negros Occidental officer-in-charge Diesah Biaoco said in the province, the overall inflation eased to -0.2 percent in August from 0.5 percent in July, even lower than the 4.6 percent in August 2024.

“This brings the province’s average inflation rate from January to August 2025 to 1.7 percent,” she added.

The 0.5 percent in July is a revised figure, based on PSA’s national level computation.

Among the commodity groups, the top two main sources of deceleration were food and non-alcoholic beverages at -1.7 percent, from -1 percent in July, as well as housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at -1.6 percent inflation in August, from 1.3 percent inflation in July.

In August, the top major contributor to overall inflation is housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at -1.6 percent, from 1.3 percent in July 2025, with a 55.9 percent share, followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages at -1.7 percent, from -1 percent in the previous month, with 35.35 percent share.

For the bottom 30 percent income households in Negros Occidental, inflation decreased to -0.9 percent in August, from -0.2 percent in July.

Meanwhile, the August overall inflation in Bacolod City dropped to zero percent, from 0.1 percent in July, bringing the city’s average inflation rate from January to August 2025 to 1.9 percent.

“The zero percent in Bacolod City shows a very slow movement in the decrease of prices, especially in food. Last month’s prices of food and agricultural products were cheaper,” Biaoco said.

The August 2024 inflation rate in Bacolod City was posted at 5.7 percent.

The main source of inflation deceleration in August this year is food and non-alcoholic beverages at -2.4 percent, from -2.1 percent in July.

At the same time, the food and non-alcoholic beverages commodity group was also the top major contributor in the August overall inflation at -2.4 percent, from -2.1 percent in July, with a share of 35.1 percent.

The inflation rate for the bottom 30 percent income households in Bacolod City slowed down to -1.4 percent in August from -1.1 percent in July. (PNA)