Manila, April 10 -- The Negros Island Region (NIR) posted the lowest inflation rate in the country at 1.5 percent in March, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Friday.

Inflation rose from 0.7 percent in February and 0.8 percent in January, bringing the first-quarter average to 1.0 percent.

"In March 2026, NIR recorded the lowest inflation rate among all the regions," PSA-NIR chief statistical specialist Ma. Goretti Novilla said in an online press briefing.

NIR includes Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, and Bacolod City.

The March increase was mainly driven by housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, which jumped to 8.2 percent from -1.0 percent in February, contributing 60.6 percent to the uptrend....