April 2010

Year-on-Year Inflation Rates, All Items
April 2009 - April 2010

p - pleminary
r - revised

Year-on-Year

• The year-on-year growth rate of the General Wholesale Price Index (GWPI) at the national level decelerated to 9.0 percent in April from 9.7 percent in March. A slower annual price adjustment was observed in the index mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials at 37.5 percent in April from 43.3 percent in March; chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats, 1.6 percent from 1.9 percent; and machinery and transport equipment, 0.4 percent from 0.5 percent. Moreover, the miscellaneous manufactured articles index still registered an annual decline of -0.2 percent. However, higher annual growth rates were posted in the indexes of the following commodity groups: food, 5.4 percent from 5.3 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels, 5.8 percent from 5.7 percent; and manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials, 0.4 percent from -0.1 percent. The beverages and tobacco index moved at its last month's rate of 1.2 percent.
  

• The annual price adjustment in the GWPI in Luzon also eased to 10.1 percent in April from 10.9 percent in March. It resulted from a negative annual rate in miscellaneous manufactured articles index at -0.5 percent. A slower annual price movement was also seen in the food index at 5.2 percent from 5.3 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels, 6.8 percent from 6.9 percent; mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, 41.0 percent from 47.5 percent; chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats, 1.8 percent from 2.2 percent; and machinery and transport equipment, 0.5 percent from 0.6 percent. On the other hand, the annual growth rate in the index of manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials went up to 0.3 percent from -0.2 percent while that for beverages and tobacco remained at its last month's annual rate of 2.2 percent.
  

• The annual rate of price changes in Visayas further climbed to 3.8 percent in April from 3.6 percent in March. This can be attributed to the corresponding annual price hikes in the indexes of food and chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats at 3.6 percent and 1.3 percent from 2.2 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. The annual price gains in the indexes of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials and manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials correspondingly improved to 19.8 percent and 0.2 percent from 23.9 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. In addition, annual price declines were still noted in the following commodity groups: beverages and tobacco index, -5.3 percent from -6.5 percent; machinery and transport equipment, -1.1 percent from -1.2 percent; and miscellaneous manufactured articles, -0.3 percent from -0.1 percent. The movement in the index for crude materials, inedible except fuels remained at its last month's rate of -1.2 percent.
  

• The annual growth of wholesale prices of commodities in Mindanao was 5.4 percent in April from 4.9 percent in March. A higher annual rate was registered in the food index at 9.1 percent in April from 7.9 percent in March; crude materials, inedible except fuels, 1.4 percent from -1.8 percent; manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials, 2.0 percent from -0.2 percent; and miscellaneous manufactured articles, 2.6 percent from 2.5 percent. Slower annual price changes were however observed in the indexes of the following commodity groups: beverages and tobacco, 0.9 percent from 1.8 percent; mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, 11.2 percent from 11.9 percent; chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats, 0.3 percent from 1.0 percent; and machinery and transport equipment, 1.0 percent from 1.9 percent.
  

• By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month

  On a monthly basis, wholesale prices at the national level moved at a slower pace of 0.3 percent in April from the 0.4 percent growth in March as a price decline was seen in the food index at -0.9 percent from 0.3 percent. Likewise, slower price hikes were noticed correspondingly in the beverages and tobacco index and chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats index at 0.1 percent and 0.3 percent from their respective last month's rates of 0.3 percent and 0.4 percent. On the contrary, a higher price increase was posted in mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index at 2.5 percent from 1.8 percent; manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials, 0.5 percent from 0.2 percent; machinery and transport equipment, 0.1 percent from -0.2 percent; and miscellaneous manufactured articles, 0.1 percent from -0.5 percent. Prices of crude materials, inedible except fuels remained stable as its group's index had a zero growth during the month.
  

  • The food index in Luzon recorded a negative rate of -1.4 percent. This was due to price cuts in selected food items such as pork, chicken, fish, onions, garlic, and other vegetables during the period. On the other hand, higher prices of some fruits, refined sugar and other spices in Visayas and Mindanao correspondingly raised their group's indexes by 0.7 percent and 1.3 percent from zero growth and 2.3 percent, respectively. The national index dropped to -0.9 percent from 0.3 percent last month.
    

  • The monthly price movement in beverages and tobacco index in Luzon at 0.2 percent was brought about by price addition in selected softdrinks in the area. In Visayas and Mindanao, no changes were seen in the index of beverages and tobacco. Thus, the group's index in the Philippines moved up at a slower pace of 0.1 percent.
    

  • Higher prices of selected electrical appliances in Visayas and Mindanao pushed up the machinery and transport equipment index in the areas by 0.1 percent from -1.1 percent and -0.4 percent, respectively. Upward price adjustments in some storage batteries in Visayas and Mindanao also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, the index in Luzon generally remained stable as it still posted a zero growth during the month. At the national level, the group's index jumped to 0.1 percent from -0.2 percent.
    

  • Increments in the prices of selected sanitary and plumbing materials pushed up the miscellaneous manufactured articles index in Luzon by 0.2 percent. However, price reductions in selected sanitary fixtures, furniture and some photographic instruments caused a -0.1 percent drop in the group's index in Visayas. In Mindanao, prices of miscellaneous manufactured articles remained stable as its index had a zero growth. The national index accelerated to 0.1 percent from -0.5 percent.
    

  • The monthly price change in the index for chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats in Luzon and Philippines at 0.3 percent was brought about by the uptick in the prices of selected pharmaceutical products during the month in review. This was however, slower than the 0.4 percent growth in March. Likewise, higher prices of selected fertilizer in Mindanao caused a 0.1 percent rise in the group's index during the month. In Visayas, the group's index moved at its previous month's rate of 0.1 percent.
    

  • Prices of cement, steel bars, selected rubber products and non-metallic mineral manufactures were up in Luzon, hence the manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index in the area gained 0.6 percent. Moreover, price additions on these items along with the price increases in wood products in Mindanao raised its group's index by 0.5 percent from 0.4 percent. On the other hand, a -0.4 percent drop in the group's index in Visayas was effected by price reductions in some paper products and knitted fabrics in the area. At the national level, the group's index rose by 0.5 percent from 0.2 percent.
    

  • A 2.7 percent increase in the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index in Luzon was mainly due to the upward adjustments in the prices of fuel oil and LPG in the area. In addition, movement in the group's index in Visayas at 1.1 percent was attributed to price hikes in kerosene and diesel oil during the month. Meanwhile, no changes were observed in the group's index in Mindanao as it had a zero growth. The group's national index went up by 2.5 percent, higher than 1.8 percent last month.
    

  • The index of crude materials, inedible except fuels index in the four areas had a zero growth during the month.
    

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    NOTE :

    Revisions of the monthly series from January 2009 to March 2010 were made to incorporate the machinery and equipment rental rates based on the latest updated data from the official source.

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  Source: National Statistics Office
  Manila, Philippines
  
  Page last revised: July 23, 2010