Food, Beverages and Tobacco (FBT) and Non-FBT Items
(NCR and AONCR - February 2008)

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 in NCR and AONCR correspondingly moved up to 137.2 and 143.0 in February from their respective January levels of 136.6 and 141.7.

   Seasonal factors such as the cold weather condition brought lower supply of selected fish species in the markets, thus raising their prices in NCR and AONCR. The start of the observance of the Lenten season also resulted to higher prices of fish in the two areas. Moreover, increased prices of pork in the wet markets were observed during the month due to lesser supply of live hogs brought about by the heavy consumption of pork on the past holiday season. In addition, high cost of feeds and high maintenance cost of farm operations prompted most raisers to lessen production of hogs. All these factors pushed up prices of FBT items in NCR and AONCR relative to the expected trend.

   Compared to last month, prices of the seasonally adjusted CPI for FBT items in NCR and AONCR correspondingly slowed down to 0.4 percent and 0.9 percent from 0.5 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively.

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 went down to 155.2 in February from its January level of 155.3 while that for AONCR picked up to 151.2 from 150.5. The late adjustments of rental rates noticed in some regions pulled up prices of non-FBT items in AONCR relative to the expected trend. However, this seasonal factor did not raise prices of non-FBT items in NCR.

The monthly rate of change of the seasonally adjusted CPI of non-FBT items in NCR slipped to -0.1 percent in February from 0.2 percent in January while prices of the seasonally adjusted CPI for non-FBT items in AONCR moved up at a slower pace of 0.5 percent from its previous month’s rate of 0.9 percent.

For technical notes and other related information,
please visit:
http://www.census.gov.ph
or contact the Economic Indicators and Indices Division, NSO
at telephone number 716-3935

Page last updated: March 5, 2008