Month-on-Month Growth Rates

At the national level, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items retained its November rate of -0.1 percent. A slower increment was noted in alcoholic beverages and tobacco index at 0.2 percent from 1.0 percent and health and recreation and culture indices, 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent. In addition, the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index continued to post a negative rate at -0.5 percent from -0.7 percent. Movements in the indices for clothing and footwear and education remained at 0.3 percent and in furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.2 percent.

Relative to the expected trend, a seasonal factor like a bigger demand for selected goods and services items during the holiday season pulled down the indices for all items; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; recreation and culture; education; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

The month-on-month increase of the seasonally adjusted CPI in NCR for alcoholic beverages and tobacco and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house decelerated to 0.2 percent in December from their corresponding last month’s rates of 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent. Moreover, the transport index declined by 1.2 percent from -0.4 percent and non-food index, -0.1 percent from -0.6 percent. The education index however, retained its previous month’s rate of 0.3 percent.

The higher demand for selected goods and services during the holiday season generally pushed down the alcoholic beverages and tobacco index; non-food index; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house index; transport index; and education index.

The seasonally adjusted CPI for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels went down by 0.6 percent in December from -0.8 percent in November. The index for alcoholic beverages and tobacco moved up at a slower pace of 0.2 percent from 0.9 percent. On the other hand, a higher monthly rate of 0.3 percent was posted in the clothing and footwear index from 0.2 percent while the recreation and culture index had a zero growth from 0.1 percent. Movements in the index of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house remained at 0.2 percent; health index, 0.1 percent; and education index, 0.3 percent.

The seasonal factor of increased demand for selected goods and services during the holiday season generally pulled down 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; recreation and culture; education; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.