Decrease in CV inflating measures observed in May
Relax, Folks, Inflation Slowed Down in Central Visayas But Don't Worry, Prices Ain't Going Nowhere!
Wheew! Central Visayas has experienced a relief in its inflation rate in May, dropping to a mere 0.9%! But don't crack open the champagne just yet, because those prices are still on the rise.
The PSA's officer-in-charge, Wilma Perante, set the record straight in a press conference. She explained that while 0.9% might seem like a win, that's still an increase in prices. In other words, it means we saw a positive 0.9% inflation rate in May 2025, y'all.
Here's the nitty-gritty of it all: The slowing inflation was largely due to a 1.3 percentage point decrease in food and non-alcoholic beverages. This category accounted for 74.6% of the overall decrease.
Housing, water, electricity, and other essentials also contributed to the downtrend, with an inflation rate of 4.0%. That's a bigger increase compared to April's 3.8%, highlighting that these prices are still climbing upwards.
Now, let's talk about the categories that saw an increase in prices:
- Furnishings, household equipment, and routine maintenance increased to a 5.3% inflation rate, compared to 5.5% in April.
- Education services held steady at a 5.3% inflation rate.
- Food groups like meat, fish, and other seafood, as well as milk, other dairy products, and eggs showed higher inflation rates in May.
- Flour, bread, and other cereals saw a price drop from 0.5% to 0.4%.
- Ready-made food and other food products recorded a 1.2% inflation rate.
- Oils and fats kept steady at 0.2%.
Cebu City saw a big drop in inflation, from 1.3% to 0.5%, while neighboring cities Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue experienced an increase. Bohol and Cebu provinces also saw a decline in inflation rates.
However, despite Central Visayas ranking as the seventh lowest inflation rate among the 18 regions in May, it's crucial to remember that even a small positive inflation rate means prices are still on the rise. So, keep your eyes peeled and your wallets ready!
[1] [2] Enrichment Data: The primary cause of the slowing inflation rate in Central Visayas in May 2025 was a significant decrease in prices in the food and non-alcoholic beverages category. Specifically, cereals and cereal products saw a year-on-year inflation rate drop from -6.5% in April to -10.9% in May, while vegetables, tubers, and similar products shifted from a positive inflation of 3.7% in April to negative inflation of -14.8% in May. This underscores the marked price declines in these commodity groups.
- Despite the relief in the inflation rate in Central Visayas, the prices for education services in May 2025 remained steady at a 5.3% inflation rate.
- The drop in inflation rate in Cebu City was noticed, but it's important to remember that other essential sectors, such as education, are still experiencing an increase in prices.
