Month-on-Month Growth Rates
 

• Philippines

     At the national level, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items moved up at slower pace of 0.8 percent in September 2018 from 0.9 percent in August 2018. Moreover, increases in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages slowed down to 1.4 percent from 1.5 percent; and recreation and culture, 0.4 percent from 1.4 percent. On the other hand, higher monthly increments were  noted in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 1.0 percent from 0.9 percent; clothing and footwear, 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 0.4 percent from 0.3 percent. Movements of the indices of non-food and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services both remained at 0.4 percent during the month. Similarly, a 0.3 percent growth was still posted in the indices of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; and education.

     Contrary to the expected trend, the lean season that was still felt during the month of September pushed up the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; recreation and culture; and education. This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels while it did not affect the indices of the following commodity groups:

• All Items;
• Non-food;
• Clothing and Footwear;
• Health; and
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (see Table 1).

• National Capital Region (NCR)

     The increase in the seasonally adjusted CPI for alcoholic beverages and tobacco decelerated to 0.8 percent in September 2018 from 0.9 percent in August 2018; non-food, 0.3 percent from 0.5 percent; recreation and culture, 0.2 percent from 1.3 percent; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.4 percent from 0.5 percent. Movements in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages and education remained at 1.2 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively with the index of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house registering zero growth during the month.

      The lean season during the month of September pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages;
• Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House;
• Recreation and Culture;
• Education; and
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services.

On the other hand, this seasonal factor pushed down the index of alcoholic beverages and tobacco while it did not affect the index for non-food (see Table 2).
 

• Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

     In AONCR, the month-on-month growth of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items and alcoholic beverages and tobacco both remained at 0.9 percent in September. Likewise, the indices of clothing and footwear; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services retained their previous month’s rate of 0.3 percent.  Meanwhile, higher monthly increases were recorded in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 1.7 percent from 1.5 percent; non-food, 0.5 percent from 0.4 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 0.7 percent from 0.3 percent. The increments in the indices of health decelerated to 0.3 percent from 0.4 percent; recreation and culture, 0.4 percent from 1.5 percent; and education, 0.2 percent from 1.2 percent.

     Relative to the expected trend, the lean season pushed down the indices of the following commodity groups during the month:

• All Items;
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco;
• Non-food;
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels;
• Health; and
• Education.

This seasonal factor, however, pushed up the indices of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house and recreation and culture. The indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; clothing and footwear; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services were not affected by this seasonal factor  (see Table 3).