TACLOBAN CITY – Inflation in Eastern Visayas continued on a downward trajectory, easing to 0.6 percent in April 2025, down from 1.0 percent in March, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in a press briefing on May 13.
The region’s year-to-date average inflation stood at 1.0 percent, based on PSA data.
PSA Regional Director Wilma Perante attributed the slowdown to the steeper annual decline in prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which dropped by 1.8 percent in April—sharper than the 1.2 percent decrease recorded in March.
The housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels group also contributed to the downtrend, posting a slower inflation rate of 2.7 percent, down from 4.6 percent in March.
Other commodity groups with slower inflation included furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance: 0.9% (from 1.2%); health: 1.4% (from 1.9%); clothing and footwear: 0.8% (from 1.0%); and transport: –0.9%, reflecting a faster price drop compared to –0.2% in March
Despite the general downtrend, a few groups saw slight increases in inflation: alcoholic beverages and tobacco: up to 4.3% (from 3.9%); restaurants and accommodation services: 0.9% (from 0.8%) and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services: 1.6% (from 1.4%).
Food inflation, a key driver of regional inflation, recorded a –0.6 percent annual change in April, down further from –0.4 percent in March, and a stark contrast to 6.8 percent in April 2024.
The sharper decline was led by a significant drop in rice prices, which fell by 11.9 percent, compared to 8.9 percent in March. A slower inflation rate in ready-made food and other unclassified food products (4.2% from 4.6%) also helped ease the food index.
The food index alone pulled down the regional inflation rate by –0.33 percentage point, accounting for over 55 percent of the slowdown. Within this, cereals and cereal products, including rice, corn, bread, and pasta, had the largest contribution with –3.46 percentage points. Sugar, confectionery, and desserts contributed –0.01 percentage point.
Perante noted that the sustained decline in inflation signals improving price stability in the region, particularly for essential food items. She emphasized that the PSA will continue monitoring economic indicators to assess their impact on regional development and household welfare.
(ELBERT M. YODICO, JR., LNU STUDENT INTERN)
