RISING food prices pushed inflation for the country’s poorest households in the Davao Region to 12.1 percent in August, the highest among all 18 administrative regions, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The rate for households in the bottom 30 percent income group rose from 11.6 percent in July and jumped from negative 2.5 percent in August 2025. The region’s average inflation from January to August reached 9 percent.
For low-income families, food remained the biggest pressure on household budgets. Food and non-alcoholic beverages posted 13.8 percent inflation in August, up from 13.1 percent in July. Food accounted for 64.2 percent of the region’s overall inflation, contributing 7.8 percentage points to the 12.1 percent rate.
Housing-related costs also remained elevated, with housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels recording 16.2 percent inflation. Transport followed at 13 percent.
Rice drives food inflation
The pressure was particularly strong on staple foods.
Food inflation among the bottom 30 percent income households rose to 14.4 percent in August, from 13.8 percent in July. The PSA identified the faster increase in rice prices as the main driver, with rice inflation accelerating to 31.2 percent from 27.6 percent in July.
Vegetables and other food staples also recorded steep increases. Inflation for vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses reached 29.6 percent, while corn posted 29.5 percent inflation. Fish and other seafood prices rose 13.7 percent.
Cereals and cereal products — including rice, corn, flour, bread, pasta and other cereals — contributed the most to food inflation, accounting for a 71.7 percent share or 10.3 percentage points. Vegetables and related products contributed 18.1 percent, while fish and seafood contributed 17.5 percent.
Davao leads all regions
Davao’s 12.1 percent inflation rate stood well above the 8.2 percent national rate for bottom 30 percent income households, which remained unchanged from July.
Western Visayas ranked second at 10.7 percent, followed by Central Visayas and Caraga at 10.4 percent each. The National Capital Region recorded the lowest rate at 4.3 percent.
Within the Davao Region, Davao Occidental recorded the highest inflation at 15.3 percent, followed by Davao del Sur at 13.9 percent and Davao del Norte at 13.4 percent. Davao City posted 8.2 percent, down from 8.5 percent in July.
The figures highlight the heavier impact of price increases on low-income households, whose spending patterns differ from those of the broader population. The PSA said it uses a separate market basket and weighting system to measure price changes for the bottom 30 percent income group. MLSA
