• Year-on-year inflation decelerated to 6.5 percent in May 2001 from 6.7 percent in April due to the slow down in inflation of food, beverages and tobacco (FBT), housing and repairs (H&R) and fuel, light and water (FLW) despite faster rate in services. The May 2000 inflation was 4.2 percent. 
   
• Similarly, inflation rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) dropped to 7.2 percent in May from 8.1 percent in April due to slower rates in the prices of FBT, housing and repairs (H&R) and miscellaneous items.
• Meanwhile, inflation in Areas Outside the National Capital Region (AONCR) slightly picked up to 6.3 percent in May from 6.2 percent in April brought about by the increase in the prices of services.

• Month-on-month inflation slowed down to 0.1 percent in May from 0.3 percent in April mainly due to the decline in the prices of FLW. 

  

>By Region, Year-on-Year

*Inflation rate for the National Capital Region (NCR) slid to 7.2 percent in May from 8.1 percent in April.

*Inflation in Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR) increased to 6.3 percent in May from 6.2 percent in April. Six regions posted higher inflation rate. The biggest increase was in Northern Mindanao at 0.8 percentage point followed by Eastern Visayas at 0.5 percentage point. The highest rate was still registered in ARMM at 9.0 percent while the lowest rate was recorded in Central Mindanao at 3.9 percent.

>By Commodity Group, Year-on-Year

The inflation rate for FBT decelerated to 3.8 percent in May from 4.2 percent in April; H&R, 6.6 percent from 6.8 percent; FLW, 12.2 percent from 13.8 percent; and miscellaneous items, 7.5 percent from 7.6 percent. However, the rate for clothing went up to 3.9 percent from 3.8 percent and services, 14.1 percent from 13.9 percent.

• The inflation rate for food alone slipped to 3.6 percent in May from 4.0 percent in April. Slower rates were seen in the prices of rice, 1.2 percent from 1.6 percent; cereal preparations, 5.6 percent from 5.7 percent; fish, 3.6 percent from 4.3 percent; and fruits and vegetables, 2.4 percent from 4.1 percent. Faster rates were however, recorded in the prices of corn, 1.6 percent from 1.4 percent; dairy products, 9.9 percent from 9.3 percent; eggs, 1.8 percent from 1.0 percent; and miscellaneous foods, 3.9 percent from 3.7 percent. The price of meat moved at its April rate of 6.5 percent.

In NCR, the inflation rate for FBT went down by 1.4 percentage points; H&R, 0.2 percentage point; FLW. 4.6 percentage points; and miscellaneous items, 0.3 percentage point. Meanwhile, the rates for clothing and services increased by 0.4 percentage point and 0.5 percentage point, respectively.

• The inflation rate for food alone in NCR decelerated to 3.4 percent in May from 4.8 percent in April. Lower rates were recorded in the prices of corn, 7.1 percent from 9.2 percent; cereal preparations, 9.8 percent from10.0 percent; fish, -3.8 percent from 1.0 percent; fruits and vegetables, -2.4 percent from 5.3 percent; and meat, 8.1 percent from 9.0 percent. Higher rates were posted in the prices of rice, 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent; dairy products, 11.8 percent from 11.2 percent; eggs, 5.5 percent from 4.1 percent and miscellaneous foods, 5.4 percent from 5.0 percent.

For AONCR, the inflation rate of services rose to 13.7 percent in May from 13.5 percent in April while the rate of FLW slowed down to 10.7 percent from 10.9 percent. FBT, clothing, H&R and miscellaneous items retained their corresponding April rates of 3.9 percent, 3.4 percent, 7.3 percent and 7.0 percent.

• The inflation rate for food alone maintained its April rate of 3.7 percent.
• The inflation rate for cereal preparations remained at 4.1 percent. Higher rates were posted in the prices of corn, 1.4 percent from 1.3 percent; dairy products, 9.1 percent from 8.6 percent; eggs, 0.7 percent from 0.1 percent; fruits and vegetables, 4.3 percent from 3.7 percent; meat, 5.7 percent from 5.5 percent; and miscellaneous foods, 3.3 percent from 3.1 percent.
• The price increase of rice slowed down to 1.3 percent in May from 1.9 percent last month. Twelve regions posted lower rates. The biggest decline was in Cagayan Valley at 2.3 percentage points followed by Western Mindanao at 2.2 percentage points. Moreover, four regions, namely, Northern Mindanao, Central Mindanao, Southern Mindanao and Caraga, had negative rates.
• The inflation rate for fish went down to 5.5 percent in May from 5.6 percent in April.

>By Region, Month-on-Month

Price increase in NCR decelerated to 0.1 percent in May from 0.5 percent in April as prices of FLW significantly declined by 4.7 percent from an increase of 1.4 percent a month ago. A lower rate was also seen in services, 0.3 percent from 0.5 percent while miscellaneous items and FBT retained its April rate of 0.2 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively. Higher rates were however noted in clothing, 0.9 percent from 0.4 percent; and H&R, 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent.

Meanwhile, month-on-month price increase in AONCR slightly went up to 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent. Prices of FBT picked up to 0.2 percent this month from a decrease of 0.1 percent in April. Clothing and services moved at their respective April rates of 0.1 percent and 0.3 percent. However, H&R and miscellaneous items registered slower upward movement of 0.2 percent from their corresponding rates of 0.5 percent and 0.4 percent last month. Six regions posted higher month-on-month rates. The highest rate was reported in Northern Mindanao at 0.7 percent while the lowest rate was in Caraga at 0.2 percent.

>By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month

The decline of 1.6 percent in FLW mainly caused the inflation rate in May to slow down to 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent in April. The rates for H&R and miscellaneous items also decelerated to 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent; and services, 0.3 percent from 0.4 percent. On the other hand, FBT went up to 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent; and clothing, 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent.

• The constant downpour of rain during the middle of the month caused the delay in harvest of vegetables especially in CAR. This triggered supply limitation of vegetables thus, lower deliveries of vegetables were noted at the unloading points in the National Capital Region. This caused prices of fruits and vegetables to accelerate by 6.1 percent in the area from 1.9 percent last month. On the contrary, prices of many vegetables were still sold at lower prices in many regions outside the Metropolis causing the group's index to decline by 0.8 percent in May. This rate, however, was faster than its previous month's rate of 3.0 percent. The fruits and vegetables index went up by 0.9 percent in the Philippines from 1.9 percent in April.
• Prices of pork, chicken and beef went up by 0.9 percent in the Philippines and NCR and 0.8 percent in AONCR from 0.6 percent last month. This was brought about by the higher demand for meat due to the observation and celebration of fiestas in many regions.
• Prices of fish declined during the month in NCR and in some regions due to abundant supply brought about by the favorable weather condition coupled by low demand for fish. The group's index went down by 0.2 percent in the Philippines and -2.2 percent in NCR from an increase of 0.5 percent in April. However, in AONCR, prices of fish went up by 0.3 percent, slower than its last month's rate of 0.5 percent.
• Higher prices of sugar, spices like garlic and ginger and some seasonings such as vinegar, patis and catsup raised the miscellaneous foods to 0.4 percent in the three areas during the month.
• The increase in the price of rice slowed to 0.1 percent in the Philippines and AONCR from 0.2 percent last month due to sufficient supply. However, in NCR, it moved at a faster rate of 0.5 percent in May from 0.1 percent in April.

The price of dairy products rose by 0.7 percent in the Philippines, 1.0 percent in NCR and 0.5 percent in AONCR as milk and cheese were more expensive brought about by the higher importation price of raw materials for milk and milk products.

The FLW index in AONCR went down by 0.1 percent as the price of LPG declined during the month. In NCR, lower purchased power adjustment (PPA) for electricity along with the price decrease in LPG pushed down the FLW index by 4.7 percent. This resulted to a 1.6 percent drop in the national index in May from 0.7 percent in April.

Higher prices of selected construction materials like cement, common wire nails, plywood and hollow blocks were recorded along with the increase in rental rates in some provinces. The H&R index picked up by 0.2 percent in the three areas. However, the increases were lower than their April rates of 0.3 percent for the whole country and 0.5 percent in AONCR.

The services index accelerated by 0.3 percent in all areas resulting from the increases in the prices of school supplies and medicines. In addition, prices of gasoline and diesel as well as telephone rate in NCR went up. These were, however, lower than rates of 0.4 percent at the national level and 0.5 percent in NCR last month.

Results of the 2^nd phase survey were not received from Surigao del Sur and Lanao del Sur.