Philippine inflation may have eased to 6.4% in June, but consumers continued to feel the squeeze as the prices of basic goods kept rising from a year ago, said research group IBON. This comes amid chronically unstable jobs and incomes, compounded by the recent oil price shocks.

The group noted that the price of regular-milled rice nationwide rose from Php42/kilo last year to Php50/kilo in June 2026. The cost of other food items also increased: galunggong from Php212 to Php232; carrots from Php103 to Php148; ampalaya from Php100 to Php112; and kangkong from Php54 to Php69.

In the National Capital Region, the cost of an 11-kilogram LPG tank increased from a range of Php830-Php1,110 to Php1,110-Php1,600. Meanwhile, electricity rates climbed from Php12.16/kilowatt-hour (kWh) to Php14.48/kWh, translating to a Php466 monthly increase from Php2,431 to Php2,897 for a typical household consuming 200 kWh.

Filipinos’ wages are not enough to keep up with higher prices, stressed IBON. Nationwide, the average nominal minimum wage is just Php512, but the real value is only Php378, factoring in inflation.

IBON said that these price hikes show that, despite the Marcos government’s claims, its touted measures to address high prices are not easing the burden on already struggling Filipino households.