Aklan’s Deflation Eases in September 2025: What Does It Mean for Consumers?

KALIBO, AKLAN — Aklan recorded a -0.4 percent deflation in September 2025, slower than the -1.4 percent posted in August, based on the latest report of the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA).

Inflation measures the annual rate of change in the average prices of goods and services commonly purchased by households, using 2018 as the base year. A negative inflation rate, or deflation, indicates that overall prices were generally lower compared to the same month last year.

The slower deflation in September means that prices are beginning to decline at a slower pace, suggesting that some commodities have started to post price increases.

Among the 13 major commodity groups, the Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels group contributed the most to the slower deflation. It recorded -1.7 percent in September from
-4.1 percent in August.

Within this group, the price of electricity showed a significant upturn, rising from -18.5 percent deflation in August to -7.6 percent in September.

The Food and non-alcoholic beverages group followed, with its inflation rate increasing from -3.3 percent in August to -2.5 percent in September.

This uptrend was mainly due to higher prices of vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses, which jumped from 14.4 percent to 29.3 percent inflation during the
same period.

The transport group also played a part, as gasoline prices posted a slower deflation at -2.3 percent in September from -6.4 percent in August.

As a result of these price movements, the purchasing power of the peso (PPP) in Aklan weakened to ₱0.81 in September 2025. This means that a basket of goods worth ₱100 in
2018 now costs about ₱123.80 in September 2025.

When adjusted for inflation, a non-agriculture worker earning ₱513 per day has a real income of only ₱411 based on 2018 prices. This means that the worker’s daily earnings today can
buy fewer goods and services compared to what the same amount could purchase in 2018.

In simple terms, even if workers receive the same or increased salary in pesos, its buying power has decreased because the prices of goods and services have generally gone up.

This shows how inflation and purchasing power directly affect the real value of income. When prices rise or when deflation slows down, the peso’s purchasing capacity weakens, and
workers may feel that their salaries are no longer enough to cover the same expenses as before.

Both the inflation rate and the purchasing power of the peso highlight the impact of price changes on household budgets and living standards. The PSA urges policymakers, planners, and the business sector to craft responsive measures that can help ease the effects of inflation and support the economic welfare of Aklanons.