ILOILO CITY – The Western Visayas region recorded its lowest inflation rate since 2021 last December, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-6 said.

PEOPLE purchase fish in a stall in Iloilo City. Inflation in Western Visayas decreased to a two-year low last month. (Tara Yap)
PSA-6 said the inflation rate dropped to 3.2 percent last month, down 0.8 percent, from November with four percent.
“The deceleration of inflation in December 2023 was primarily brought about by the faster annual decrease in pricing of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels,” said Nelida Amolar, PSA-6 officer-in-charge and chief statistical specialist.
Other factors are the decrease in prices of food, non-alcoholic beverage, personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services.
Guimaras province still has the highest inflation rate in the region at 5.5 percent last month.
The regional capital of Iloilo had the lowest inflation rate for December with 0.7 percent.
In other areas, it was 4.5 percent in Antique province, four percent in Bacolod City, four percent in Capiz, 3.9 percent in Aklan, 3.5 percent in Negros Occidental, and 2.7 percent in Iloilo.