WV inflation steady at 6.8% in June

Inflation for all income households in Western Visayas remained at 6.8 percent in June 2026, unchanged from May, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-6).

PSA-6 Regional Director Nelida C. Amolar said Western Visayas ranked 11th among the country’s regions in terms of inflation last month, while Central Visayas (Region VII) recorded the highest rate nationwide.

Antique registered the highest inflation rate in Western Visayas at 9.2 percent, followed by Iloilo province at 7.5 percent, Aklan at 7.3 percent, Iloilo City at 6.6 percent, Guimaras at 5.1 percent, and Capiz at 3.9 percent, the lowest in Western Visayas.

For the bottom 30 percent income households, inflation was recorded at 8.1 percent in Western Visayas, 9.3 percent in Iloilo province, and 8.5 percent in Iloilo City.

The PSA reported higher inflation in several major commodity groups across Western Visayas, including Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, Health, Information and Communication, Recreation, Sport and Culture, Education Services, and Personal Care and Miscellaneous Goods and Services.

Meanwhile, lower inflation was observed in Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Transport, and Restaurants and Accommodation Services, while Clothing and Footwear, Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance, and Financial Services maintained steady inflation.

Asked about the notable increase in the Education Services commodity group from May to June, Amolar said the higher inflation was primarily driven by tuition fee adjustments during the 2026–2027 enrollment period, when schools begin collecting tuition fees.

On the inflation outlook, Statistical Specialist II Annalyn L. Solinap said the PSA cannot predict future inflation, explaining that price movements depend on the interaction of supply and demand.

The monthly inflation report serves as one of the government’s key economic indicators in monitoring changes in the prices of goods and services purchased by households and in guiding economic planning and policy decisions.Carla Eunice Guevara, WVSU-COC intern/IMT