DAVAO Region’s inflation eased slightly to 8.7% in September 2026 from 8.9% in August, as lower electricity costs offset higher fuel prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) XI reported on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
During an online briefing, Baby Jean P. Alid, PSA XI chief administrative officer and OIC, said housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels were the main triggers that slowed the upward pressure.
Inflation in the group dropped to 9.5% in September from 11.8% in August, accounting for 89.8% of the downtrend.
Electricity inflation recorded the highest decrease, from 29.9% to 16.3%.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the biggest contributor to overall inflation, with a 48.5% share.
Cereals and cereal products slowed to 18.7% from 20.4%, but fish and other seafood quickened to 17.7% from 16.3%, and vegetables, tubers and similar products to 23.2% from 22.8%.
Meanwhile, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels were the second-largest contributor, at 21.1%.
PSA noted that the transport inflation accelerated to 16.8% from 13.3%, noting gasoline inflation rose to 42.5% from 35.2%; diesel to 66.5% from 56.2%, while other passenger transport by road more than doubled to 4.9% from 2.4%.
By commodity, rice was the top contributor to September inflation, with a 22.8% share. Its inflation slowed to 24.3% from 26.0%. Gasoline followed with 12.0%, then electricity with 7.9%.
Meanwhile, other pelagic fish ranked fourth with 7.8%, as its inflation rose to 23.7% from 20.7%, while rentals ranked fifth with 7.4% (0.6 percentage points).
By province, Davao del Sur logged the highest inflation at 11.7%, although this was down from 12.1% in August. Davao City, on the other hand, posted the lowest at 6.3%, down from 6.7%.
Inflation also slowed in Davao Oriental to 9.9% from 10.2%, and in Davao Occidental to 11.4% from 11.5%.
However, inflation accelerated in Davao de Oro to 11.5% from 10.8%, and in Davao del Norte to 10.4% from 10.0%.
PSA reported average inflation from January to September 2026 reached 7.0%, with January posting 3.1% and 3.3% in February.
However, monthly inflation significantly climbed to 5.9% in March and peaked at 8.9% in April, before easing to 7.8% in May. It rose again to 8.1% in June, 8.4% in July, and 8.9% in August.