* - Lowest since the 6.5% inflation rate in September 1997. 
r - revised

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (1994=100)
MAY 1999

l By Commodity Group, Year-on-Year

è The rates for all commodity groups except for fuel, light and water (FLW) slowed down. Food, beverages and tobacco (FBT) moved down to 5.7 percent in May from 7.8 percent in April; housing and repairs (H&R), 8.9 percent from 9.4 percent; services, 9.1 percent from 9.3 percent; miscellaneous items, 5.3 percent from 6.1 percent and clothing, 6.8 percent from 7.3 percent. The rate for FLW picked up to 5.4 percent from 5.0 percent.

>The inflation rate for food alone was 5.7 percent in May from 7.8 percent in April. Slower rates were noted in the prices of miscellaneous foods, 6.1 percent from 7.1 percent; fish, 6.2 percent from 9.6 percent; fruits and vegetables, 8.0 percent from 17.7 percent; meat, 2.7 percent from 5.5 percent; eggs, 14.5 percent from 15.2 percent; cereal preparations, 5.0 percent from 6.0 percent; dairy products, 4.1 percent from 4.5 percent; and corn, -3.1 percent from -2.0 percent. However, the price of rice remained at its April rate of 5.9 percent.

è Similarly, all the commodity groups in Metro Manila (MM) registered slower inflation rates except for FLW whose inflation rate moved up to 6.9 percent in May from 6.5 percent in April. The rates for H&R slowed down from 5.9 percent to 5.1 percent; and services, from 7.5 percent to 7.3 percent. FBT inflation in May decelerated to 1.9 percent in May from 6.9 percent in April; miscellaneous items, to 5.2 percent from 6.4 percent; and clothing, to 6.3 percent from 7.1 percent.

> The inflation rate for food alone in MM slowed down to 1.3 percent from 6.5 percent in April. Lower rates were recorded in the prices of rice, -1.0 percent from -0.3 percent; cereal preparations, 4.2 percent from 5.6 percent; dairy products, 3.3 percent from 4.1 percent; eggs, 24.5 percent from 25.1 percent; fish, -3.3 percent from 11.1 percent; fruits and vegetables, 10.4 percent from 27.5 percent; meat, -3.3 percent from 2.2 percent; and miscellaneous foods, 0.6 percent from 1.4 percent. However, the price of corn increased to 34.4 percent from 14.5 percent.

è For areas outside Metro Manila (AOMM), all the commodity groups posted lower inflation rates except that of FLW whose rate increased to 4.8 percent in May from 4.3 percent in April. The rates for FBT went down to 6.8 percent from 8.1 percent; H&R, to 11.6 percent from 11.9 percent; services, to 10.1 percent from 10.2 percent; miscellaneous items, to 5.4 percent from 5.9 percent; and clothing, to 7.0 percent from 7.4 percent.

> The inflation rate for food alone went down to 7.0 percent in May from 8.3 percent last month.

> The inflation rate for rice slightly moved up to 7.0 percent from 6.9 percent in April. Eight regions posted higher rates; the biggest increase was 1.6 percentage points in Southern Tagalog.

> Inflation rates for corn decreased to -3.8 percent from -2.3 percent; cereal preparations, 5.3 percent from 6.2 percent; dairy products, 4.4 percent from 4.7 percent; eggs, 11.6 percent from 12.2 percent; fish, 8.6 percent from 9.3 percent; fruits and vegetables, 7.3 percent from 14.6 percent; meat, 5.7 percent from 7.0 percent; and miscellaneous foods, 8.5 percent from 9.7 percent.

l By Region, Year-on-Year

è The inflation rate for Metro Manila went down to 4.1 percent in May from 6.7 percent in April.

è AOMM inflation slowed down to 7.7 percent in May from 8.5 percent a month earlier. All the regions recorded lower inflation rates. The biggest decline was noted in Southern Mindanao at 1.9 percentage points followed by CARAGA at 1.8 percentage points. Southern Mindanao posted the lowest inflation rate at 2.6 percent while Cagayan Valley recorded the highest rate at 10.6 percent.

l By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month

è The inflation rate for services picked up to 0.4 percent in May from 0.3 percent in April; and FLW, to 0.5 percent from 0.2 percent. H&R inflation slowed down to 0.3 percent from 0.4 percent a month earlier; and miscellaneous items, to zero growth from 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, the inflation rate for clothing remained at 0.1 percent. FBT decreased by -0.2 percent compared to -0.4 percent in April.

è The price of rice decreased by -0.2 percent which was also the same rate posted in April. Month-on-month rates were negative in eleven regions, including MM. The lowest rate was observed in Eastern Visayas at -2.3 percent while Cagayan Valley registered the highest rate at 0.9 percent. Similarly, the price of rice in MM decreased by -0.1 percent compared to -0.5 percent last month.

è Prices of corn rose to 1.6 percent in the Philippines and 1.2 percent in AOMM in May from their corresponding levels of 1.0 percent and 0.7 percent in April. However, in MM, it slowed down to 17.5 percent from 24.6 percent last month.

è Prices of cereal preparations slightly went up to 0.1 percent from zero growth in April as prices of bread, biscuit, native cakes and noodles increased in some of the regions.

è Prices of dairy products in AOMM posted zero growth from 0.2 percent in April while in MM, the index slowed down to 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent last month. This resulted to a 0.1 percent slowdown in the national level.

è In AOMM, prices of eggs declined by 0.2 percent in May from an increase of 0.2 percent in April while in MM, it fell by -0.4 percent compared to -1.1 percent in April. This caused the national index to decline by 0.2 percent.

è Sufficient supply caused fish prices in MM to further decline by 8.1 percent in May from its April rate of -2.7 percent. This pulled down the national index by -1.6 percent even as fish prices in AOMM increased by 0.1 percent.

è The fruits and vegetables index in ten regions continued to decline resulting to a 1.7 percent drop in the AOMM. On the other hand, the MM index increased to 1.9 percent, slower than the 2.0 percent posted a month earlier. This caused the national index to decline by 0.8 percent.

è Higher prices of chicken, beef and pork in most of the regions including MM pushed up the meat index by 0.4 percent in the Philippines, 0.3 percent in MM and 0.5 percent in AOMM.

è In AOMM, cooking oil, margarine, tea, tonic drink, vinegar and mayonnaise were priced higher in May resulting to a 0.1 percent increase in the national level. On the other hand, the rate in MM registered at -0.2 percent, which was the same rate posted in April.

è Prices of meals eaten outside increased by 0.2 percent in the Philippines and AOMM while it had a zero growth in MM.

è The FLW index increased to 0.5 percent in May from 0.2 percent. This was brought about by increases in the prices of firewood, kerosene, charcoal and LPG in many regions together with higher currency exchange rate adjustment (CERA) for electricity in Metro Manila.

è Services posted an increase of 0.8 percent in MM and 0.3 percent in AOMM resulting to a 0.4 percent increase in the national level. This was influenced by the increases in the prices of gasoline, diesel, lubricating oil, cassette tape and medicines along with the increase in the prices of school supplies such as notebooks, pad papers and textbooks.

è Higher rental rates and increases in the prices of some construction materials like cement, common wire nails, tumbler switch, plywood and G.I. sheet caused the H&R index to increase by 0.3 percent compared to the April rate of 0.4 percent.

è The clothing indices for the Philippines and AOMM moved at the previous month rates of 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively. In MM, the index increased to 0.1 percent from - 0.1 percent in April. This was brought about by the increase in the prices of footwear and ready-made apparel along with higher sewing charge in many regions.

è The MM index for miscellaneous items went down by 0.6 percent in May while AOMM registered an increase of 0.2 percent resulting to a zero growth in the national level.

l By Region, Month-on-Month

è Prices in Metro Manila decreased to -0.1 percent in May from zero growth in April. Lower rates were noted in the prices of FBT, -0.8 percent from -0.4 percent in April; H&R, 0.3 percent from 0.4 percent; FLW, 0.5 percent from 0.8 percent; and miscellaneous items, -0.6 percent from zero. Inflation in services increased to 0.8 percent in May from 0.5 percent in April; and clothing, to 0.1 percent from -0.1 percent.

è In AOMM, prices increased to 0.1 percent in May from -0.1 percent in April. FBT inflation in May was higher at -0.1 percent from -0.5 percent a month ago; services, 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent; and miscellaneous items, 0..2 percent from 0.1 percent; FLW, 0.5 percent from zero growth. H&R slowed down to 0.3 percent from 0.4 percent in April. Clothing remained at its April rate of 0.2 percent. Seven regions posted growths with the highest rate in Central Visayas at 0.7 percent while the lowest rate was recorded in Ilocos and Eastern Visayas at -0.3 percent.

Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines

Page Last Updated: June 4, 1999