BARMM inflation rate still Phl’s lowest

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recorded the lowest inflation rate in the country for July, at -1.7 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

This figure is a decrease of 0.8 percentage points from the previous month.

BARMM-PSA regional director Akan Tula said the trend stands in contrast to the national inflation rate, which was 0.9 percent in July. The national rate also showed a decrease from 1.4 percent in June.

Tula attributed the region’s deflation to lower costs in three main categories: food and non-alcoholic beverages; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; and transportation. He said the commodities that contributed the most to the decline were rice, fresh or chilled tomatoes, gasoline, cassava and spices.

According to Tula, the faster deflation rate, from -0.9 percent to -1.7 percent, signals better price stability in the BARMM. He noted this is a significant improvement from the 5.6 percent inflation rate recorded in July 2024, which highlights the region’s economic resilience.