Legazpi City, Aug. 7 -- The Philippine Statistics Authority in Bicol (PSA-5) reported on Thursday that the inflation rate for July 2025 rose slightly to 1.7 percent, up from 1.5 percent in June.

During a press conference on the July 2025 Inflation Report, PSA-5 chief statistician Ray Merjilla said the primary driver of the increased inflation rate was the rapid rise in the prices of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, which saw an inflation rate of 3.1 percent in July, compared to 1.4 percent in June.

"Restaurants and accommodation services also contributed to inflation in July with an 8.0 percent inflation rate, up from 5.6 percent in June. The main factor behind this increase was the rise in prices at restaurants and ca...