Tacloban City, Aug. 8 -- Drops in food prices in Eastern Visayas resulted in a further slowdown of the inflation rate (IR) from 0.7 percent in June to negative 0.2 percent in July 2025, the lowest in nearly six years.

It was the first time since November 2019 that the region logged a negative IR, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Eastern Visayas Supervising Statistical Specialist Zonia Salazar said in a press briefing here on Friday.

Salazar said the decline of the regional IR last month was largely influenced by a 0.9 percent annual price drop in food and non-alcoholic beverages from zero inflation in June.

"The downtrend of the food inflation in July 2025 was primarily influenced by the slower IR of vegetables, tubers, plantains,...