Central Visayas priciest region in PH, data say
Consumers in the Central Visayas sustained the sharpest increase in the cost of living among all regions in the country, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Prices in Central Visayas accelerated to 10.8 percent in April from 7.4 percent in March amid rising food prices, fuel costs and housing-related expenses, PSA Regional Director Wilma Perante said, as she presented the inflation report on May 13.
Inflation is defined as the persistent, broad rise in the general prices of goods and services in an economy based on the changes in the consumer price index (CPI), as recorded by the PSA.
The regional inflation report was released two weeks after the PSA reported that the country’s annual headline inflation surged to 7.2 percent in April 2026 from 4.1 percent in March 2026.
The PSA said the CPI climbed 2.6 percent month-on-month, the largest increase since January 1996, and brought the average inflation rate from January to April 2026 to 3.9 percent.
The statistics agency said this marks the highest inflation level since March 2023 and exceeds the central bank’s forecast of 5.6 percent to 6.4 percent.
The PSA said the surge was caused mainly by rising food costs (6.0 percent), transport (21.4 percent) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (8.2 percent), largely attributed to the impact of the war in the Middle East.
The agency also assessed on Friday the situation of the prices of selected agricultural commodities for the first phase of May in a report signed by Deputy National Statistician Divina Gracia Del Prado.
At the national level, a kilogram of well-milled rice had an average price of P58.33, lower than its price of P58.88 per kilogram in April.
