May 2009

• Month-on-Month

  The month-on-month inflation rate of the General Retail Price Index (GRPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) went up at a slower pace of 0.1 percent in May from 0.5 percent in April. This was mainly due to the slowdown in the monthly rates posted in the indices of beverages and tobacco (0.1% from 0.7%), crude materials, inedible except fuels (0.1 % from 1.7%); and mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, (-0.2% from 4.9%). In addition, a negative rate of -0.4 percent was recorded in the manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials Add-ons in the prices of food remained at 0.2 percent. The machinery and transport materials index moved up to 0.2 percent from -0.1 percent.

  Price rollback in gasoline, LPG, along with the price decreases in steel bars, GI sheets and tanguile contributed to the downtrend.
  

• Year-on-Year

  On an annual basis, the movement in the GRPI in NCR dropped to -0.2 percent in May from 2.1 percent in April. Slowdowns were registered in the heavily weighted food index at 2.6 percent in May from 4.9 percent in April; beverages and tobacco, 4.6 percent from 5.3 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels, 4.4 percent from 4.6 percent; chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats, 2.8 percent from 3.2 percent. The manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials group posted a negative rate of 1.9 percent from 0.5 percent. The rate of the miscellaneous manufactured articles group still remained at 3.1 percent while the machinery and transport equipment picked up to 1.2 percent from 1.1 percent.

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  Source: National Statistics Office
  Manila, Philippines

  Page last revised: July 6, 2009