PSA urges public to stay informed, practice careful budgeting
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur (PIA) — As prices of essential commodities continue to fluctuate, residents are encouraged to remain informed and practice careful budgeting to manage daily expenses as Surigao del Sur’s inflation rate accelerated in February 2026, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
It further emphasized that monitoring inflation trends helps households and policymakers make informed decisions to address economic challenges since the impact of inflation is already felt in the daily expenses of many residents.
Former rebel (FR) and now a peace advocate, Aljun Intano, said the increase in prices has made it harder for communities rebuilding their lives to provide for their necessities.
“Grabe jud ang epekto sa inflation, ramdam gyud kaayo, labi na sa amoa nga mga FR community. Mao pa gani ang pagsugod namo og pundar sa among bag-ong kinabuhi, nasugatan dayon sa krisis. Pero padayon lang mi ug paningkamot, laban lang. (The impact of inflation is already felt by the FR community. We just started rebuilding our lives, but unfortunately, we are already affected.”) Intano said that FRs who have recently returned to the mainstream community are still in the early stages of rebuilding their livelihoods, making them more vulnerable to economic pressures such as rising food prices.
Similarly, journalist and senior citizen Wilfredo Evangelio shared that many ordinary families are feeling the burden of increasing prices of basic commodities.
“Life is becoming harder for ordinary families as the prices of basic commodities continue to rise,” Evangelio shared.
He noted that higher fuel costs have triggered a domino effect on the prices of goods in local markets. Once affordable vegetables are now selling at double the price.
“For example, pako and okra that used to cost ₱10 per bundle are now around ₱20, while rice has increased from ₱45 to as high as ₱70 per kilo,” he said, adding that such increases make it difficult for families to manage their daily budgets.
Evangelio expressed hope that the government will continue strengthening programs that help cushion the impact of inflation on ordinary citizens.
Data from the PSA confirmed that food prices remain the main driver of inflation in the province.
According to Ruel L. Dres, chief statistical specialist of PSA Surigao del Sur said inflation in the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages category rose to 2.8 percent in February, up from 1.3 percent in January, accounting for 69.1 percent of the overall inflation increase.
“Price increases were most notable in cereals and cereal products, which went up to 0.2 percent in February from -4.0 percent in January,” Dres said. “Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses also posted higher inflation at 3.7 percent from -1.2 percent in the previous month.”
Overall inflation in Surigao del Sur rose to 2.1 percent in February 2026, higher than the 1.2 percent in January, but it remained slightly lower than the national inflation rate of 2.4 percent.
Other commodity groups that contributed to the increase include housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, which recorded a modest 0.1 percent inflation, while actual house rentals rose to 1.5 percent.
Higher inflation was also recorded in clothing and footwear (8.0 percent), restaurants and accommodation services (3.3 percent), personal care and miscellaneous goods and services (2.5 percent), and recreation, sport and culture (2.6 percent).
Meanwhile, furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance remained steady at 8.8 percent, while health stayed at 2.5 percent. (NGPB, PIA Surigao del Sur)
