ILOILO CITY – The inflation rate in Western Visayas dropped to 4.8 percent in July, the Philippine Statistics Authority-6 said on Friday, August 9.

THE La Paz Market in Iloilo City is abuzz with commercial activity. (Tara Yap)
ida Amolar, PSA-6 officer-in-charge and chief statistical specialist, said inflation dropped 0.1 percent from the 4.9 percent in June.
Amolar cited the reason for the downtrend. “The deceleration rate was mainly due to the slower growth in the index housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels,” said Amolar.
Another factor, she said, was the inflation rate for health which dropped to 2.5 percent in July from 2.7 percent in June.
The regional capital of Iloilo City still has the lowest inflation rate in July with 1.8 percent, 0.4 percent lower than the 2.2 percent rate in June.
The island-province of Guimaras has the region’s highest inflation rate at 6.8 percent, followed by Aklan with 6.4 percent, 6.2 percent in Antique, 6.2 percent in Bacolod City, 4.8 percent in Negros Occidental, 4.7 percent in Capiz, and four percent in Iloilo province.
Amolar added that the region recorded a slower growth rate from 2.7 percent in June to 1.1 percent last month.