Year-on-Year Growth Rates, All Items
September 2014 - September 2015
| Month | Philippines | Luzon | Visayas | Mindanao |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | ||||
| September | -4.3p | -4.9p | -2.2 | -1.6 |
| August | -4.1 | -4.4 | -2.8 | -2.5 |
| July | -3.7 | -4.1 | -1.9 | -2.2 |
| June | -3.7 | -4.2 | -1.0 | -2.1 |
| May | -4.1 | -4.8 | -0.3 | -1.8 |
| April | -4.4 | -4.9 | -0.5 | -2.9 |
| March | -4.7 | -5.2 | -1.9 | -3.0 |
| February | -4.9 | -5.4 | -2.4 | -2.1 |
| January | -6.4 | -7.2 | -3.0 | -3.0 |
| 2014 | ||||
| December | -4.1 | -4.8 | -1.2 | -0.8 |
| November | -0.4 | -0.8 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| October | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 1.5 |
| September | 1.7 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 1.9 |
p - preliminary
r - revised
Year-on-Year
At the national level, the General Wholesale Price Index (GWPI) continued to register an annual drop of 4.3 percent in September. In August, it went down by 4.1 percent while in September 2014, it had a positive growth of 1.7 percent. The decrease was mainly due to the negative rate in the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index at -27.3 percent. In addition, slower annual increments were noted in the food index at 2.9 percent; beverages and tobacco index, 5.9 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels index, 0.6 percent; chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats index, 2.8 percent; manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index, 2.1 percent; and machinery and transport equipment index, 0.7 percent. The miscellaneous manufactured articles index retained its last month’s rate of 2.5 percent.
In Luzon, the GWPI further declined by 4.9 percent as the mineral fuels, lubricants and related material index had a negative annual movement of 27.9 percent in September. Slowdowns were likewise recorded in the annual rates of the food index at 3.2 percent; beverages and tobacco index, 6.2 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels index, 0.8 percent; chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats index, 3.4 percent; and manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index, 2.3 percent. The annual growths in the indices of machinery and transport equipment and miscellaneous manufactured articles remained at 0.9 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively.
Similarly, the GWPI in Visayas dipped by 2.2 percent in September. Decreases were observed in crude materials, inedible except fuels index at -6.7 percent and mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index, -27.5 percent. On the other hand, faster annual increases were noticed in the food index at 4.8 percent and miscellaneous manufactured articles index, 1.5 percent. The rest of the commodity groups retained their August rates.
In Mindanao, the GWPI fell by 1.6 percent. This was attributed to the negative rates in the indices of food and chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats at -0.4 percent; and mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, -16.3 percent. Moreover, slower growths were seen in beverages and tobacco index at 2.2 percent and manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index, 1.0 percent. However, higher annual gains were noted in crude materials, inedible except fuels index at 13.5 percent and in miscellaneous manufactured articles index, 0.6 percent. The machinery and transport equipment moved at its August rate of 0.1 percent.
By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month
On a monthly basis, the GWPI at the national level dropped by 0.5 percent in September. This was brought about by the negative rates posted in the indices of the following: food -1.0 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels, -1.5 percent; mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, -0.5 percent; chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats, -0.2 percent; and manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials, -0.1 percent. On the other hand, the beverages and tobacco index grew by 0.3 percent while the machinery and transport equipment index retained its previous month’s rate of 0.1 percent. The miscellaneous manufactured articles index generally remained stable as it had a zero growth.
Downward adjustments in the prices of copra resulted to a 1.9 percent drop in the index of crude materials, inedible except fuels in Luzon and in Visayas, -1.3 percent. Reductions in the prices of pebbles were also registered in Visayas. On the other hand, higher prices of firewood, sand and gravel effected a 5.0 percent growth in its group’s index in Mindanao. At the national level, the group’s index fell by 1.5 percent.
The food index in Luzon went down by 1.3 percent as prices of selected food items such as hogs and swine, chicken, some fish species, fruits, vegetables, ground coffee, copra meal and desiccated coconut decreased during the month. Meanwhile, upticks in the prices of eggs, beef, milk, rice and cooking oil pushed up the group’s index in Visayas by 0.6 percent. In Mindanao, price additions in fresh meat and corn were offset by the lower prices of hogs, selected fish species, fruits and vegetables. Thus, the group’s index in the area had a zero growth. These mixed price trends among the areas resulted to a 1.0 percent decline in the group’s national index.
Lower prices of kerosene pushed down the mineral fuels, lubricants and related material index in Luzon by 0.8 percent. However, higher prices of diesel caused a 0.7 percent increment in its group’s index in Visayas and in Mindanao, 2.3 percent. In the Philippines, movement in its group’s index was posted at -0.5 percent.
The index for chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats in Luzon moved down by 0.4 percent as a reduction was noted in the price of coconut oil. Meanwhile, prices of some medical preparations were on the uptrend in Visayas. Hence, its group’s index inched up by 0.1 percent. In Mindanao, prices of chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats items generally remained stable while in the Philippines, the index dropped by 0.2 percent.
The manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index in Luzon and Mindanao went down by 0.1 percent. This was due to the price cuts in concrete products in Luzon and lower prices of cutlery and hand tools in Mindanao. There was no movement in the group’s index in Visayas while the national index had a negative rate of 0.1 percent.
Higher prices of selected cigarettes in Luzon raised the beverages and tobacco index in the area by 0.4 percent. Meanwhile, prices of beverages and tobacco in Visayas and Mindanao generally remained stable during the month. At the national level, its index rose 0.3 percent.
A 0.1 percent gain in the machinery and transport equipment index in Luzon and Visayas was due to increases in the prices of insulated electrical wires in Luzon and add-ons in the prices of electrical appliances in Visayas. In Mindanao, no movement was posted in the group’s index. In the Philippines, the group’s index grew by 0.1 percent.
A 0.3 percent growth in the miscellaneous manufactured articles index in Visayas was brought about by price hikes in mattress and other miscellaneous items. Likewise, higher prices of selected magazines in Mindanao pushed up its index by 0.2 percent. In Luzon and at the national level, the group’s index had a zero growth.
Note:
GWPI by sub-group for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and at the national level are also available upon request at PSA, Price Statistics Division (Telephone Number: 376-1959).
