Inflation for the bottom 30 percent of income households in the Davao Region climbed to 3.6 percent in January 2026, its fastest pace in more than a year, as housing and utility costs surged and price pressures spread across most provinces, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Friday, February 6, 2026.
The regional rate rose from 2.0 percent in December 2025 and from 0.8 percent in January 2025, signaling mounting strain on low-income families who spend most of their income on food, rent, and basic services.
The PSA said the increase was driven largely by housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, which jumped 8.5 percent in January from 0.2 percent the previous month.
“The uptrend in the region’s overall inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households was primarily due to the faster year-on-year growth rate in the index of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels,” the PSA said.
Price pressures intensified unevenly across the region. Davao del Norte recorded the sharpest jump, with inflation surging to 5.2 percent in January from 1.6 percent in December and 0.9 percent a year earlier, reflecting faster increases in basic household costs.
Inflation in Davao City, the region’s economic center, rose to 3.6 percent from 2.7 percent in December and 2.4 percent in January 2025, mirroring the regional average and underscoring rising living costs in urban areas.
Davao de Oro also saw inflation accelerate to 3.6 percent from 0.2 percent in December, while Davao del Sur posted a slightly lower rate of 3.3 percent, easing from 3.9 percent the previous month but still higher than its 2.1 percent level a year ago.
More moderate price increases were recorded in Davao Occidental, where inflation climbed to 2.5 percent from 1.1 percent, and in Davao Oriental, which slowed to 1.9 percent after reaching 2.3 percent in December. Both provinces had posted deflation a year earlier.
Food prices added to the pressure. Inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose to 2.7 percent in January from 1.8 percent in December, while overall food inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households reached 2.6 percent, up from 1.7 percent.
The PSA attributed the uptick mainly to higher prices of cereals and cereal products, which shifted to 1.1 percent inflation from a 3.6 percent decline a month earlier. Prices also rose faster for milk, dairy products, and eggs, as well as ready-made food and other food products.
Some food items provided limited relief. Inflation slowed or turned negative for meat, fish and seafood, oils and fats, fruits and nuts, vegetables, and sugar and confectionery, helping temper overall food inflation.
Beyond food, prices rose faster for personal care and miscellaneous goods and services, health, restaurants and accommodation services, and recreation, sport, and culture. In contrast, transport costs fell 0.6 percent, easing pressure on commuting households.
At the national level, inflation for the bottom 30 percent of income households increased to 1.6 percent in January from 1.1 percent in December. Among the country’s 18 regions, Central Visayas recorded the highest inflation at 6.1 percent, while Cagayan Valley posted the lowest at minus 0.9 percent.
The PSA said the Consumer Price Index for the bottom 30 percent income households in Davao Region stood at 133.8 in January, highlighting how rising prices continue to erode the purchasing power of the region’s poorest families. MLSA WITH PSA 11 REPORT