Bohol’s inflation nearly doubled in April 2026, surging to 7.2% from 4.5% in March and more than tripling the 2.0% rate recorded in the same month a year ago, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported — a reading that puts consumer prices well above the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ 2–4% target band.
The April figure matched the national average and signaled a sharp reversal after a year of subdued price pressures in the province, raising fresh concerns about household purchasing power in a predominantly agricultural and tourism-dependent economy.
Transport costs bore the steepest increase, surging 22.7% year-on-year as global oil markets remained unsettled.
PSA Bohol chief statistician Jessamyn Alcazaren said the province’s inflation remained comparatively more contained, crediting the relatively lower cost environment in a less-urbanized economy.
Still, analysts note that persistently high transport and food costs could dampen consumer spending and weigh on Bohol’s tourism recovery, as higher costs for fuel and food services tend to filter into visitor expenses and local business margins.
The prolonged conflict in the Middle East has kept crude prices elevated and disrupted shipping lanes, driving up fuel import costs across Southeast Asia.
In the Philippines, where the government regularly adjusts pump prices to reflect world oil movements, the impact has been immediate and widespread — hitting tricycle and jeepney operators hardest in a province where many residents depend on those modes of daily transport.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 8.3%, compounding pressure on lower-income households that allocate a disproportionate share of their budgets to food.
Although Bohol has a productive agricultural sector anchored in rice, corn, and fisheries, local production has not been fully insulated from higher input and logistics costs, including fertilizer and fuel for fishing boats. Water, electricity, gas, and other household fuels also contributed to the overall uptick.
The April surge effectively erases the disinflation gains of the previous year.
After starting 2025 at 3.4% in December 2024, Bohol’s inflation steadily eased, reaching a low of 0.2% by December 2025, with a full-year average of just 1.7% — one of the tamest in recent memory for the province.
The current rebound mirrors broader national trends, as elevated global commodity prices have reignited inflationary pressures across the country in early 2026.
Bohol’s 7.2% rate, while concerning, remained significantly below the Central Visayas regional average of 10.8%, and well below the rates recorded in its urban neighbors.
Cebu province posted the highest reading in the region at 12.9%, followed by Lapu-Lapu City at 11.4%, Mandaue City at 10.7%, and Cebu City at 9.4%.
The PSA figures were presented at a press briefing on May 12, 2026.
PHOTO FROM: CHAT GPT