The year 2018 marked Guimaras’ fastest headline monthly inflation rates compared to 2017 and 2016, except for the month of December which posted 0.2 percentage points slower than in 2017.

The 2018 monthly inflation rate of the province started at 3.3 percent in January and consistently recorded monthly increment until it reached at 6.4 percent in May.

By June, headline inflation dived to 5.1 percent before spiking until it peaked at 7.2 percent in August.

In October, inflation went down to 5.2 percent before slightly picking up to 5.4 percent in November then settled at a slower rate of 4.7 percent in December 2018.

Guimaras’ inflation rate in December 2018 lags at 4.7 percent, mainly driven by slower indices of transport which recorded a decrease of 3.98 percent and the food, and non-alcoholic beverages at -0.16 percent.

The indices of communication and education remained stable at 99.9 percent and 116.6 percent, respectively.

Moreover, indices of all the food groups registered slower increments in December 2018 compared with their previous month’s rates, except for fruits which exhibited a higher gain of 3.00 percent; Other Cereals, Flour, Cereal Preparation, Bread, Pasta and Other Bakery Products (0.27%); Meat (0.08%); and Milk, Cheese and Eggs (0.09%).

Comparing headline monthly Inflation rates of Guimaras province for the years

2016-2018, the fastest rate was at 7.2 percent in August 2018 and the slowest was at 1.1 percent in July 2017.

Nonetheless, its average inflation rate in 2018 at 5.2 percent is faster more than twice than the 2017 average inflation rate at 2.4 percent.