1. A. 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 decreased to 118.2 in January from its December level of 118.6. However, the seasonally adjusted CPI of FBT items in AONCR rose to 121.2 in January from 120.6 last month.

   Seasonal factors such as the inclement weather condition still experienced during the month pushed up prices of fish and eggs in the two areas. These resulted from the difficulty in catching fishes that settle deep in the waters and lower production of eggs during the cold months.

   The month-on-month inflation of the seasonally adjusted CPI for FBT items in NCR posted a negative rate of 0.3 percent in January from 1.3 percent increase in December. Meanwhile, prices of seasonally adjusted FBT items in AONCR climbed to 0.5 percent slower than the 0.6 percent recorded a month ago.

2. B. 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 correspondingly picked up to 133.0 and 130.6 in January from their respective December levels of 131.2 and 130.3. Seasonal factors such as the practice of implementing business changes at the beginning of the year like increasing rental rates pushed up prices of non-FBT items in both areas relative to the expected trend.

Compared with December 2004, prices of seasonally adjusted non- FBT items in NCR went up to 1.4 percent in January from 0.2 percent in December. Prices of seasonally adjusted CPI for non-FBT items in AONCR also moved up but a slower pace of 0.2 percent from last month’s 0.7 percent.