NOVEMBER 2018

GENERAL RETAIL PRICE INDEX IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
(2000=100)

Year-on-Year and Month-on-Month Changes in Percent

Year-on-Year

Year-on-Year growth of the General Retail Price Index (GRPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) slows down in November 2018.

The year-on-year increment of GRPI in NCR decelerated to 3.8 percent in November 2018. Its annual rate in October 2018 was posted at 4.0 percent and in November 2017, 2.4 percent. Slower annual increases were observed in the indices of beverages and tobacco at 12.0 percent; mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, 13.8 percent; and machinery and transport equipment, 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, annual mark-ups were higher in the indices of food at 4.5 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels, 3.0 percent; chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats, 1.3 percent; and miscellaneous manufactured articles, 1.4 percent. The annual rate of change in manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index remained at 2.1 percent (see Table 2).

 

 

By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month

GRPI in NCR drops in November 2018

The month-on-month change of GRPI in NCR further declined by 0.2 percent in November 2018. Its monthly rate in the previous month was posted at -0.1 percent.

• The index of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials decreased by 4.8 percent as prices of gasoline, diesel, LPG and kerosene generally went down during the month.

• The heavily-weighted food index slightly dropped by 0.05 percent in November 2018. This was due to lower prices of chicken, rice, corn and vegetables.

• Lower price increases in alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and cigarettes resulted to a slower month-on-month growth of 0.1 percent in beverages and tobacco index during the month.

• Selected paints, medicines, cosmetics, and insecticides were priced higher during the month. Hence, the index of chemicals, including animal and vegetables oils and fats inched up by 0.2 percent.

• Manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index rose by 0.3 percent in November 2018. Price mark-ups were noted in cement, hollow blocks, plywood, lawanit, steel bars and selected paper products.

• From a zero growth in the previous month, the index for machinery and transport equipment went up by 0.1 percent in November 2018. Higher prices were noted in electric lamps, electrical wires, electrical switch, PVC pipes, and selected electrical appliances.

• Increments in the prices of selected sanitary fixtures, office supplies, garments and footwear slightly pushed up the index for miscellaneous manufactured articles by 0.1 percent during the month. This was the same rate registered in the previous month.

• The index for crude materials, inedible except fuels posted zero growth in November 2018. Price hike recorded in sand was offset by the price decrease in gravel.