Month-on-Month Growth Rates
 

• Philippines

     At the national level, the monthly change of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items went up by 0.2 percent in April from 0.1 percent in March. Higher increases were noted in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 0.5 percent from  0.4 percent; and health, 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent. Moreover, food and non-alcoholic beverages index inched up by 0.1 percent from -0.2 percent. On the other hand, the indices of non-food, and clothing and footwear moved up at a slower pace of 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent. A lower monthly increment of 0.1 percent was also posted in the indices of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house from 0.2 percent growth recorded in the previous month. The indices of recreation and culture, and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services moved at their previous month’s rate of 0.2 percent and education, -0.2 percent.

     Seasonal factors such as the production of selected goods for the graduation season and the higher demand of construction materials during summer months pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups in April 2019:

• All items;
• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
• Non-food;
• Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels;
• Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house;
• Education; and
• Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

These seasonal factors, however, pushed down the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, and recreation and culture while those for clothing and footwear, and health were not affected by these seasonal factors (see Table 1).
 

• National Capital Region (NCR)

     The seasonally adjusted CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages in NCR picked up by 0.6 percent in April from 0.2 percent in March. In addition, alcoholic beverages and tobacco index moved up by 0.2 percent in April from -0.5 percent in the previous month. On the contrary, slower increases were observed in the indices of recreation and culture at 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent. The indices of  non-food and education both retained their previous month’s rate of 0.2 percent. The index of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house registered zero growth during the month from -0.1 percent in March 2019.

     Relative to the expected trend, seasonal factors like the production of selected goods during the graduation season and bigger demand of construction materials during summer months pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
• Non-food;
• Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and
• Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

However, these seasonal factors pushed down the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; recreation and culture; and education (see Table 2).

• Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

     In AONCR, the month-on-month growth of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items eased to 0.1 percent in April from 0.2 percent in March. Moreover, the 0.1 percent growth recorded in the indices of non-food and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house during the month was slower from their corresponding previous month’s rates of 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent. Higher rates were, however, noted in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 0.6 percent from 0.5 percent; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent. The index of food and non-alcoholic beverages went up by 0.1 percent from -0.2 percent. The indices of the following commodity groups retained their previous month’s rate:

• Clothing and footwear, and health (0.3%);
• Recreation and culture (0.2%); and
• Education (-0.3%).

The index for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels posted zero growth in April 2019 from 0.3 percent in March 2019.

     The seasonal factors like the production of selected commodities for the graduation and higher demand of construction materials during summer season raised the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
• Non-food;
• Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels;
• Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and
• Education.

These seasonal factors, however, pushed down the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; and recreation and culture. Meanwhile, these seasonal factors did not affect the indices for all items; clothing and footwear; health; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (see Table 3).

See more at the Seasonally Adjusted Consumer Price Index main page.