Month-on-Month Growth Rates
 

• Philippines

     At the country level, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items posted a zero growth in September 2019, from 0.1 percent increase in August 2019. Mixed movements were posted among the commodity groups during the month. The increment in the index of alcoholic beverages and tobacco was higher at 4.2 percent in September 2019, from 1.8 percent in August 2019. Meanwhile, the indices of clothing and footwear, and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services both moved up at a slower pace of 0.2 percent from their corresponding previous month’s rates of 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent; and education, 0.5 percent from 0.8 percent. The indices of non-food dropped by 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 0.4 percent from -0.1 percent. The indices of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house retained its previous month’s rate of 0.3 percent; health, 0.2 percent; and food and non-alcoholic beverages, -0.1 percent. The index of recreation and culture still recorded a zero growth during the month.

     The lean season that was still felt during the month of September pushed up the indices for all items; food and non-alcoholic beverages; non-food; and recreation and culture. On the contrary, this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; and education. This seasonal factor, however, did not affect the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Clothing and footwear;
• Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house;
• Health; and
• Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (see Table 1).

• National Capital Region (NCR)

     The month-on-month growth of the seasonally adjusted CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages went up by 0.4 percent in September 2019 from -0.1 percent in August 2019. Moreover, higher increases were noted in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 3.1 percent from 1.8 percent, and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent. On the other hand, the monthly hike in education index slowed down to 0.5 percent from 0.8 percent. In addition, the indices of non-food and recreation and culture both declined by 0.1 percent in September 2019 from its corresponding previous month’s rates of -0.3 percent and zero growth. The same previous month’s rate of 0.1 percent was recorded in the index of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house.

     The lean month of September pushed up the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; recreation and culture; and education. This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, and non-food relative to the expected trend. Meanwhile, the indices of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services were not affected by this seasonal factor (see Table 2).
 

• Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

     In AONCR, the monthly increment of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items decelerated to 0.1 percent in September 2019, from 0.2 percent in August 2019. The indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels correspondingly dropped by 0.2 percent and 0.3 percent from zero growth in the previous month. Similarly, the index of non-food also went down by 0.1 percent compared with the 0.2 percent increase in August. Moreover, monthly gains in the indices of clothing and footwear eased to 0.2 percent, from 0.4 percent; health and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, both at 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent; and education, 0.5 percent from 0.9 percent. On the other hand, the index of alcoholic beverages and tobacco moved up at a faster pace of 4.4 percent from 1.8 percent. The index of recreation and culture also inched up by 0.1 percent from zero growth. Movement of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house index remained at 0.3 percent during the month.

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

• All items;
• Food and non-alcoholic beverages;
• Non-food;
• Clothing and footwear; and
• Recreation and culture.

This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; and education. This seasonal factor did not affect the indices of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (see Table 3).

See more at the Seasonally Adjusted Consumer Price Index main page.