Year-on-Year

• Measured from a year ago, the national inflation rate continued to slow down as it settled to 4.2 percent from 4.6 percent in April.

• On a month-on-month basis, the national inflation rate was zero as the index marginally moved down from its previous month's level.

• By Region, Year-on-Year
• The inflation rate in Metro Manila slowed down to 5.9 percent from the 6.0 percent in April.
• Areas outside Metro Manila (AOMM) registered a 3.6 percent inflation rate in May, which was 0.4 percentage point lower than the 4.0 percent in April.
•  
  • Except for CAR whose inflation rate increased by 0.2 percentage point and Western Visayas whose rate remained at 3.1 percent, the other twelve regions registered slowdown in inflation rates from their corresponding levels in April. Central Visayas recorded the biggest decrease of 1.1 percentage points bringing down its inflation rate to 4.3 percent. The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) registered the highest inflation rate of 7.4 percent.
• By Commodity Group, Year-on-Year
• The inflation rate in the food, beverages and tobacco went down by 0.6 percentage point. The rate for services, on the other hand, went up by 0.2 percentage points while that for housing and repairs (H&R) remained at its April level of 8.8 percent. Rates for fuel, light and water (FLW) and clothing went down by 1.5 percentage points and 0.1 percentage point, respectively, while the rate for miscellaneous items went up by 0.1 percentage point.
•  
  • The inflation for food alone declined to 1.0 percent from 1.5 percent in April.
• For Metro Manila, inflation rates decreased in FLW (2.5 percentage points), H&R and miscellaneous items (0.1 percentage point each). However, rates for FBT and services went up by 0.2 percentage point. Clothing turned in the same rate as the previous month's level of 2.7 percent.
•  
  • Inflation in food alone moved up to 4.7 percent in May from 4.4 percent in April.
• For AOMM, the FBT and FLW rates were lower in May than in April, i.e., 0.5 percent from 1.2 percent and 7.9 percent from 9.0 percent, respectively. Inflation rates in services were up by 0.2 percentage point; H&R and miscellaneous items, by 0.1 percentage point. Clothing remained at its previous month's level of 3.6 percent.
•  
  • Except for CAR and Western Visayas, other regions posted lower rates in FBT. The inflation for food alone in AOMM was recorded at 0.2 percent in May compared to 0.8 percent in April.
•  
  • The year-on-year rate for rice further dropped to -3.9 percent in May from -2.6 percent in the previous month as twelve regions including Metro Manila registered slowdowns in their rates. Bicol region recorded the lowest rate at -11.9 percent. Among the regions, positive rates were noted only in NCR (0.4%) and ARMM which at 2.1 percent was the highest for rice. 
    Corn prices further decreased by -8.1 percent from -7.5 percent last month contributing to a -4.4 percent change in cereals
•  
  • Inflation rates for other food groups were still on the decline, i.e., cereal preparations, by 0.5 percentage point; dairy products and meals eaten outside , by 0.1 percentage point; fruits and vegetables, by 0.3 percentage point; and meat, by 0.2 percentage point. However, inflation was up for eggs and fish, by 0.2 percentage point; and miscellaneous foods, by 0.1 percentage point.
• By Region, Month-on-Month
• Prices in Metro Manila were up by 0.3 percent from -0.1 percent last month. FBT and services posted higher month-on-month rates of 0.9 percent and 0.3 percent in May, respectively. However, lower rates were recorded in FLW, by 3.8 percentage points; housing and repairs (H&R), by 0.2 percentage point; clothing and miscellaneous items, by 0.1 percentage point.
• In AOMM, prices went down by -0.2 percent from 0.2 percent in April. The FBT and FLW inflation rates were down at -0.4 percent and -0.2 percent in May from corresponding increases of 0.2 percent and 0.5 percent in April. Inflation was higher in clothing at 0.2 percent from zero percent; housing and repairs (H&R), at 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent; and services, at 0.5 percent from 0.2 percent. The rate in miscellaneous items remained at 0.1 percent of the previous month.
•  
  • Ten regions posted lower month-on-month rates, with the biggest decline observed in Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) at 1.2 percentage points. Southern Mindanao (Region XI) registered the lowest month-on-month rate at -0.7 percent.
• By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month
• Month-on-month inflation rates were lower in FBT and FLW at -0.2 percent and -0.6 percent, respectively. Higher inflation was registered in services at 0.4 percent from 0.2 percent. Housing and repairs (H&R) and clothing rates correspondingly remained at 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent while the rate for miscellaneous items was recorded at 0.1 percent from its zero growth last month.
• Lower month-on-month rates were posted in FBT bringing about a decrease of -0.4 percent in AOMM after an increase of 0.2 percent last month.
•  
  • The price of rice declined by -1.3 percent after it increased by 0.9 percent in April. Twelve regions including Metro Manila recorded declines for rice in May. The lowest month-on-month rate was noted in Bicol at -2.8 percent. Price increases noted in the other three regions ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 percent.
•  
  • Corn prices were on the uptrend in Metro Manila. The index was up by 0.5 percent in the Philippines and AOMM, and 2.0 percent in Metro Manila.
•  
  • Prices of dairy products were higher by 0.2 percent in the national index and in AOMM, and 0.1 percent in Metro Manila as prices of powdered milk increased in most regions.
•  
  • In general, prices of eggs were stable as the index was lower by -0.1 percent in AOMM and higher by 0.4 percent in Metro Manila.
•  
  • The price of fish was lower brought about by adequate supplies. The index declined by -0.2 percent in the Philippines, -0.1 percent in Metro Manila and -0.3 percent in AOMM.
•  
  • Abundant supply of vegetables in the regions caused the fruits and vegetables index to decline by -0.7 percent in AOMM. In Metro Manila, the index increased by 3.3 percent after a decline of -0.7 percent in April.
•  
  • Meat prices increased further by 3.4 percent in Metro Manila and 0.6 percent in AOMM resulting in a 1.4 percent increase in the national index.
•  
  • The miscellaneous foods index increased by 0.2 percent in the Philippines as prices of garlic, ginger, sugar, and coconut increased in Metro Manila and some regions in AOMM.
• Prices of shoes, ready-made apparel, sewing accessories and sewing charges continued to increase possibly due to enrollment-related spending which resulted in an increase of 0.1 percent in Metro Manila and 0.2 percent in AOMM. The national index increased at the same rate of 0.1 percent in April.
• Lower prices of LPG, firewood, and charcoal in some regions pulled down the FLW index in AOMM by -0.2 percent. In Metro Manila, FLW posted a decline of -2.0 percent as prices of kerosene and LPG decreased along with lower purchased power adjustment for electricity rates and currency exchange rate adjustment (CERA) for water rates. These resulted in a -0.6 percent decline in the national index for FLW.
• Higher charges for recreational, medical and personal services, telephone charges and prices of medicines along with increased airplane and boat fares raised the services index by 0.4 percent in the Philippines, 0.3 percent in Metro Manila and 0.5 percent in AOMM.

Source: National Statistics Office