Month-on-Month Growth Rates
 

• Philippines

     At the national level, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items went up by 0.2 percent in October 2019, from zero growth in September 2019. The indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages and non-food picked up by 0.2 percent in October 2019, from -0.1 percent in September 2019; and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 0.1 percent from -0.4 percent. On the other hand, the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco went up at a slower pace of 2.4 percent from 4.3 percent; education, 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent. The indices of clothing and footwear; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and health retained their previous month’s rate of 0.2 percent. The index of recreation and culture had a zero growth during the month, from 0.1 percent in the previous month.

     The seasonal factor such as the increase in production of selected goods in preparation for the holiday season pushed up the indices for all items; food and non-alcoholic beverages; and recreation and culture relative to the expected trend. On the other hand, this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
• Clothing and footwear;
• Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; and
• Education.

This seasonal factor did not affect the indices of non-food; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (see Table 1).
 

• National Capital Region (NCR)

     In NCR, the seasonally adjusted CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages moved up at a faster pace of 0.5 percent in October 2019, from 0.4 percent in September 2019; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent; and recreation and culture, 0.1 percent from zero growth. In addition, the index of non-food inched up by 0.1 percent during the month after it recorded a 0.1 percent decline in the previous month. Meanwhile, the increment in alcoholic beverages and tobacco index slowed down to 2.9 percent from 3.3 percent. Likewise, the indices of education and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services moved up at slower pace of 0.2 percent from 0.5 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively.

     Relative to the expected trend, the seasonal factor like the higher production of selected goods in preparation for the holiday season pushed up the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; recreation and culture; and education. However, this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; non-food; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house. The index of restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services was not affected by this seasonal factor (see Table 2).
 

• Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

     The seasonally adjusted CPI for all items in AONCR went up by 0.2 percent in October 2019, from zero growth in September 2019. The index of restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services picked up by 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent. Moreover, the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages and non-food gained 0.1 percent in October, from -0.2 percent and -0.1 percent, respectively; and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 0.2 percent from -0.3 percent. Increases recorded in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco decelerated to 2.3 percent from 4.5 percent, and education, 0.1 percent from 0.5 percent. On the other hand, movements in indices of clothing and footwear; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and health during the month remained at 0.2 percent; and recreation and culture, 0.1 percent.

     The seasonal factor like the higher volume of production for selected goods in preparation for the coming holiday season pushed up the indices for all items; food and non-alcoholic beverages; and recreation and culture. On the contrary, this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
• Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels;
• Education; and
• Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

This seasonal factor did not affect the indices of non-food; clothing and footwear; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and health (see Table 3).

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