Bohol, Cebu City inflation

rates cling to single digits

TAGBILARAN CITY Bohol (PIA)— As much of Central Visayas perceived economic monitoring centers breach into the double digit inflation thresholds, Bohol and Cebu City remain clinging to 7.2 and 9.4 percent respectively, even as the regional inflation report showed a 7.4 percent year-on-year inflation here.

Although price movements on the 13 monitored retail commodities and services in the region continue to change with the continuing Middle East crisis, Bohol still maintains the region’s lowest inflation rate at 7.2 percent in April from 4.5 percent inflation in March, for a 2.7 points hike or a 0.6 percent increase, according to data presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority through chief supervising statistician in Bohol Jessamyne Anne alcazaren.

Regional economic hub Cebu City on the other hand still managed to hang on to a single digit 9.4 percent inflation rate in April from a 6.8 percent recorded in March, 2026, or a slower 2.6 points up, PSA data showed.

This too as the residents and consumers residing in region’s highly urbanized cities tend to suffer the double digit inflation which the Banglo Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) would now have to intervene.

BSP has earlier set a target inflation range of 2.0 to 4.0 percent with a projected average headline inflation to settle around 3.6 percent to 3.7 percent in 2026.

However, supply-side factors affected by the rising oil prices from Middle East conflict and local currency depreciation has pushed the BSP projections in April 2026 to a temporary surge, with forecasts reaching 5.6%–6.4%, but with lower food prices in 2025 and the current supply pressures, the central bank expects the inflation to stay manageable and return closer to the 3.0% target by 2027.

Even then, as the regional inflation arte in April breaches the double digit mark when it reached 10.8 percent, the City of Mandaue registers a 10.7 percent inflation in April from 6.1 percent in March.

Accoring to the PSA, the City of Lapulapu, on the other hand experienced an 11.4 percent inflation in April from 8.1 percent in March, while Cebu Province pegged a 12. 9 percent inflation rate, the highest among monitored economic centers in the region.

This is the first time that the regional inflation rate breached the double figure, even higher than when the economy stirred starting February 2022 when the Russian invasion in Ukraine sent economic shivers across the globe.

From 4.8 percent in March of 2022 to 8.6 percent by the end of the year, the region nailed a 6.6 percent year-on-year inflation rate, which came relatively higher compared to the 1.1 % in 2018, 1.6 % in 2020, and 1.5 percent in 2021.

While signs of economic recovery started manifesting with a 4.8 % year-on-year inflation on 2023, 3.2 % in 2024 and 2.5% in 2025, the Middle ears crisis with Israel and the US bombings in Iran and the retaliations shook the oil and fuel industry that placed the still unstable economy to yet another uncertainty. (PIAbohol)

ANCHORED BY FOOD? While top contributors for the headline inflation in Bohol are transport, food and non-alcoholic beverages and housing, water, electricity and fuels which altogether eating up 87 percent of a family’s pending, the presence of still available food supplies in the Boholano homes could be the reason why prices in food have not been as steep, but with an impending El Nino, the supplies may not last and the prices may soon be an issue. This dominated the discussion when the PSA presented the inflation data during their monthly press event. (PIABohol)