1. CPI of Food, Beverages and Tobacco (FBT): National Capital Region (NCR) and Areas Outside the National Capital Region (AONCR)
   

   The seasonally adjusted CPI of FBT items in NCR rose to 151.8 in January from 151.1 in December. However, the seasonally adjusted CPI of FBT items in AONCR decreased to 156.2 in January from its last month's level of 156.5.

   Seasonal factors such as the cold weather condition that prevailed during the month raised prices of fish in both areas..

   The month-on-month inflation of the seasonally adjusted CPI for FBT items in NCR decelerated to 0.5 percent in January from 1.1 percent in December. Meanwhile, prices of FBT items in AONCR further dropped by 0.2 percent in January from 0.1 percent last month.

2. CPI of Non-FBT items: National Capital Region (NCR) and Areas Outside the National Capital Region (AONCR)

The seasonally adjusted CPI of non-FBT items in NCR and AONCR correspondingly picked up to 189.1 and 183.6 in January from their respective December levels of 187.7 and 183.1. Seasonal factors such as the practice of implementing business changes at the beginning of the year like increasing rental rates pushed up prices of non-FBT items in the two areas.

Compared to December 2002, prices of seasonally adjusted non-FBT items in NCR slightly went up by 0.7 percent in January from 0.6 percent in December. On the other hand, for six consecutive months, prices of seasonally adjusted CPI for non-FBT items in AONCR remained at 0.3 percent.

Page Last Updated: February 10, 2003