Month-on-Month Growth Rates
 

• Philippines

     At the national level, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items inched up by 0.1 percent in February 2019. It was the same rate recorded in January 2019. Likewise, increments for these two periods remained the same in the indices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; and recreation and culture, both at 0.2 percent; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 0.3 percent. On the other hand, higher monthly gains were registered in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 0.6 percent from 0.2 percent; and non-food, 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent. The indices of clothing and footwear moved up at a slower pace of 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent; and health and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively from 0.3 percent. The education index recorded a negative rate of 0.1 percent during the month while the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages still had a zero growth.

     The seasonal factor like the increase in volume of production for selected goods in preparation for the graduation season pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• All items;
• Food and non-alcoholic beverages;
• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
• Clothing and footwear;
• Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; and
• Health.

     This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; recreation and culture; and education. Meanwhile, the seasonal factor during the month did not affect the indices of non-food and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (see Table 1).
 

• National Capital Region (NCR)

     The seasonally adjusted CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages in NCR went down by 0.2 percent in February 2019 from 0.9 percent in January 2019. Similarly, the index of alcoholic beverages and tobacco was still on the downtrend as it recorded a -0.3 percent monthly growth rate in February, from -1.1 percent in the previous month. Moreover, slower increases were observed in the indices of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house at 0.1 percent, from 0.3 percent; recreation and culture, 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent. On the other hand, the education index went up at a faster pace of 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent while movement of the non-food index remained at 0.2 percent.

     Relative to the expected trend, the seasonal factor like the bigger volume in production of selected goods in preparation for the graduation season raised the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco. However, this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house;
• Recreation and culture;
• Education; and
• Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

The index for non-food was not affected by this seasonal factor during the month (see Table 2).

• Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

     In AONCR, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items rose by 0.2 percent in February, from -0.1 percent in January. Higher monthly mark-ups were also noted in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 0.8, percent from 0.3 percent; clothing and footwear, 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent. On the contrary, the 0.2 percent increment recorded in the indices of both furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services was slower from the 0.3 percent growth in the previous month. Meanwhile, movements in the indices of non-food; health; and recreation and culture remained at 0.2 percent and education, -0.1 percent. The index of food and non-alcoholic beverages registered a zero growth during the month, from -0.2 percent in January.

     The increase in volume of production for selected commodities in preparation for the graduation season pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Food and non-alcoholic beverages;
• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
• Clothing and footwear;
• Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and
• Health.

However, this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of non-food; recreation and culture; and education. The indices for all items; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services were not affected by this seasonal factor (see Table 3).

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