1. CPI of Food, Beverages and Tobacco (FBT): National Capital Region (NCR) and Areas Outside the National Capital Region (AONCR)
   

   The seasonally adjusted CPI of FBT items in NCR and AONCR correspondingly picked up to 119.4 and 123.4 in April from their respective March levels of 119.0 and 122.7.

   Seasonal factors such as the prevalence of the favorable weather condition that brought heavier volume of fish catch in the markets pushed down their prices in the two areas relative to the expected trend. Abundant supply of in-season fruits like mangoes and pineapple also lowered their prices.

   Compared with March 2005, the increase in prices of seasonally adjusted CPI of FBT items in NCR remained at 0.3 percent while movement in the prices of seasonally adjusted CPI for FBT items in AONCR was slightly up to 0.6 percent from 0.5 percent.

2. CPI of Non-FBT items: National Capital Region (NCR) and Areas Outside the National Capital Region (AONCR)

The seasonally adjusted CPI of non-FBT items in NCR and AONCR posted at 135.7 and 132.3 in April were higher than their respective previous month?s levels of 134.3 and 131.6. Prices of non-FBT items in NCR were pushed up by the seasonal factors during the month while that for AONCR, seasonal factors pulled down their prices relative to the expected trend.

The month-on-month inflation of the seasonally adjusted CPI for non-FBT items in NCR went up to 1.0 percent in April from 0.4 percent in March. In AONCR, prices of seasonally adjusted CPI for non-FBT items went up at its last month?s rate of 0.5 percent.