Bacolod city: Inflation rates for all income households in this highly urbanized city and Negros Occidental decelerated further in February 2026, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday showed. Last month's inflation, or the change in the average prices of goods and services in Bacolod City, was pegged at 0.1 percent, from 1.1 percent in January 2026 and 2.7 percent in December 2025.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a press conference, PSA-Negros Occidental supervising statistical specialist Diesah Biaoco said that in the previous month, the main driver of deceleration in Bacolod was personal care and miscellaneous goods and services, with an inflation rate of 2.3 percent, or 59.6 percent share of the overall inflation. She said the personal care commodity group recorded only a 2.5 percent inflation rate in February, from 3.6 percent in January.

Data also showed the top major contributor to last month's inflation rate was the commodity group on housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at -0.4 percent, from 1.2 percent in January, with a 57.8 percent share of the downtrend in inflation. This is followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages at -0.7 percent, from 0.4 percent in January, contributing 27.9 percent to the overall inflation.

In Negros Occidental, the inflation rate was recorded at 0.3 percent in February, from 0.7 percent in the previous month, and 1.2 percent in December 2025. Biaoco said the main driver in the downward trend in the province is the health commodity group, with an inflation rate of 2.1 percent, or an 18.5 percent share of overall inflation. The inflation rate for outpatient care services was lower at 3.0 percent in February, from 4.8 percent in January.

'Stagnant inflation has been observed in hospital services, and a lower inflation rate for outpatient services largely drove down last month's overall inflation,' she said. The province's top major contributor to the February 2026 inflation is the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels commodity group with -0.2 percentage, from 0.7 percent in January, contributing a 34.1 percent to downtrend in inflation.