Month-on-Month Growth Rates

At the national level, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items and non-food both went up by 0.4 percent in March from 0.3 percent in February. From 0.1 percent, the indices for clothing and footwear and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house also picked up by 0.3 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, movements in the indices of the following commodity groups remained at their previous month’s rates:

• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels
• Health
• Recreation and Culture
• Education
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services

The graduation season brought bigger demand for some goods. This seasonal factor raised the index of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels. However, this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of the following commodity groups:

• All Items
• Clothing and Footwear
• Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House
• Recreation and Culture
• Education

The indices for non-food; health; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services were not affected by this seasonal factor relative to the expected trend.

In NCR, the increments of the seasonally adjusted CPI of the following commodity groups decelerated in March from their corresponding rates in February:

• All Items
• Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
• Health

On the contrary, higher monthly increase was noted in furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house index at 0.7 percent from 0.2 percent. Moreover, the index of recreation and culture moved up by 0.2 percent from -0.1 percent. The indices of non-food remained at 0.4 percent; clothing and footwear and education, 0.3 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 0.8 percent. That for the restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services index registered a zero growth from 0.1 percent.

The seasonal factor such as the increase in production of some goods for graduation season pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
• Non-food
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels
• Health
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services

On the contrary, the indices for all items; food and non-alcoholic beverages; clothing and footwear; recreation and culture; and education were pushed down by this seasonal factor while it did not affect the furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house index.

The month-on-month growth rates of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items and non-food in AONCR remained at 0.3 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 0.6 percent; health and education, 0.2 percent; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, a higher gain was noted in the index of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house at 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent. In addition, the transport index inched up 0.2 percent from -0.1 percent. Movement in the clothing and footwear index eased to 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent.

Contrary to the expected trend, the seasonal factor like the production of selected commodities for the graduation season pushed down the indices for all items; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and education. However, this seasonal factor did not affect the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Non-food
• Clothing and Footwear
• Health
• Transport
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services

That for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index was pushed up by this seasonal factor.