ILOILO CITY – The inflation rate in Western Visayas jumped one percent to 4.1 percent in April from 3.1 percent in March.

A FRUIT vendor on Calle Real in Iloilo City. (Tara Yap)
Nida Amolar, Philippine Statistics Authority-6 officer-in-charge and chief statistical specialist, said that the one percent spike was attributed to the increase in food prices.
Food inflation last month was recorded at 7.3 percent from 5.5 percent in March. Transportation, restaurants, accommodation, and personal health services inflation also increased.
All provinces in Western Visayas, except Guimaras, had higher inflation rates in April.
Inflation in the island-province of Guimaras last month went up to 7.2 percent from 6.8 percent in March.
The regional capital of Iloilo had the lowest inflation rate for April with 0.8 percent but it was up 0.1 percent from 0.7 percent in March.
Antique had an inflation rate of 6.7 percent, 4.9 percent in Aklan, and 4.4 percent in Negros Occidental.
Bacolod City, Capiz, and Iloilo had similar inflation rates of 3.9 percent.
Inflation is the rate of increase in prices over a given period of time.