Food, Beverages and Tobacco (FBT) and Non-FBT Items
(NCR and AONCR - September 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 items in NCR and AONCR correspondingly recorded at 148.3 and 160.7 in September were higher than their respective August rates of 148.0 and 160.5.

   Seasonal factors such as the cold weather condition caused lower production of eggs, thus raising their prices in NCR and AONCR. Prices of selected vegetables were also up in the two areas due to monsoon rains brought by the series of typhoons experienced during the month. Likewise, the stormy weather conditions that limited the fishing activities increased prices of selected fish species in the wet markets. Thus, increasing general movements of FBT items in NCR and AONCR were attributed to these seasonal factors relative to the expected trend.

   On a monthly basis, the seasonally adjusted CPI for FBT items in NCR posted an increase of 0.1 percent in September from -0.1 percent last month while that for AONCR remained at 0.1 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 slightly went down to 164.1 in September from 164.2 in August. In AONCR, the index was still at its last month’s level of 159.7.

The lean month of September have no effect in the prices of non-FBT items in NCR. This seasonal factor however, raised prices of non-FBT items in AONCR relative to the expected trend.

The monthly rate of change of the seasonally adjusted CPI for non-FBT items in NCR dropped to -0.1 percent in September from 0.7 percent in August. However, additions in the prices of seasonally adjusted CPI for non-FBT items in AONCR registered a zero growth during the month.

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: October 7, 2008