Cebu City Councilor Sisinio Andales filed a proposed resolution appealing to landlords and property owners to defer or voluntarily suspend planned rent increases for residential and commercial spaces.
The appeal responds to rising financial pressures, citing the Philippine Statistics Authority report that headline inflation reached 6.1 percent in August 2026 and Department of Energy figures showing substantial fuel price hikes.
The proposed resolution does not impose a citywide rent freeze or prohibit landlords from adjusting rates, instead asking for voluntary restraint while recognizing owners' rights to reasonable income.
WITH fuel prices, transportation costs and other essential expenses continuing to rise, Cebu City Councilor Sisinio Andales is appealing to landlords and property owners to defer or voluntarily suspend planned increases in residential and commercial rents to ease the financial pressure on tenants.
Andales made the appeal through a proposed resolution filed before the Sangguniang Panlungsod, citing the growing burden of higher prices on families, workers, students, senior citizens and small businesses.
The proposed resolution comes as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the country’s headline inflation reached 6.1 percent in August 2026, slightly easing from 6.2 percent in July but remaining significantly higher than the 1.5 percent recorded in August 2025.
The PSA also recorded a 13.5 percent annual increase in transport prices in August, while the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels group posted a 7.9 percent increase.
The resolution also pointed to recent fuel price increases, which have added to transportation and operating costs.
For the Sept. 15 to 21 price adjustment, gasoline prices increased by P5.68 per liter, diesel by P4.31 and kerosene by P4.62, according to the Department of Energy.
Andales said the rising costs could have a cascading effect on the prices of food, transportation, utilities, goods and services, leaving families and businesses with less disposable income.
Under the proposed resolution, the City Council would appeal to landlords and property owners to “hold in abeyance, defer, or voluntarily suspend” planned increases in residential and commercial rental rates whenever reasonably practicable.
The measure does not propose a citywide rent freeze or prohibit landlords from adjusting their rental rates.
Instead, it calls for voluntary restraint while tenants and businesses deal with current economic pressures. The resolution also recognizes the rights of landlords and property owners to receive reasonable rental income and recover legitimate costs.
Andales said temporarily holding off rent increases could help tenants remain in their homes and allow businesses to continue operating from their existing locations.
The resolution said keeping rental rates stable, even temporarily, could prevent another fixed monthly expense from adding to the financial burden of households and businesses. It described the appeal as an effort to encourage “compassion, solidarity and shared responsibility” and maintain harmonious relations between landlords and tenants amid economic uncertainty.
The measure will still have to go through the City Council’s legislative process before any action is taken on Andales’ appeal. / CAV