Month-on-Month Growth Rates

At the national level, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items; clothing and footwear; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house went up to 0.2 percent in April from 0.1 percent in March. Moreover, the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; health; and recreation and culture rose 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 0.2 percent from -0.2 percent. The index for restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, however, moved up at a slower pace of 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent while the education index retained its last month’s growth of 0.3 percent.

Relative to the expected trend, the indices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services were pushed up by the seasonal factors such as the production of selected goods for the graduation season and higher demand for construction materials during summer months. On the other hand, these seasonal factors pushed down the indices for all items; recreation and culture; and education. Meanwhile, the index for health was not affected by these seasonal factors during the month.

In NCR, higher increments were posted in the seasonally adjusted CPI for alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 0.4 percent in April from 0.2 percent in March and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 0.2 percent from zero growth. On the other hand, the transport index decreased by 0.3 percent from 0.5 percent. The indices for non-food and education retained their last month’s rates of 0.1 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

Seasonal factors such as the production of selected goods for graduation season and bigger demand for construction materials during summer months raised the indices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco and non-food. On the contrary, these seasonal factors pushed down the education index while it did not affect the indices for furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house and transport.

The seasonally adjusted CPI for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels inched up 0.2 percent in April from -0.2 percent in March; alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 0.3 percent from zero growth; and clothing and footwear and recreation and culture, 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent. Slower monthly gains were, however, registered in the indices for health at 0.1 percent and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services at 0.2 percent from their corresponding last month’s rates of 0.2 percent and 0.4 percent. Meanwhile, movements in those for furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house and education remained at 0.1 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively.

The indices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services were pushed up by the seasonal factors such as the production of selected goods for graduation season and higher demand for construction materials during summer months relative to the expected trend. However, these seasonal factors pushed down the indices for recreation and culture and education.