1. Philippines

On a monthly basis, the deseasonalized Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items at the country level inched up to 0.1 percent in April 2021, from a zero percent growth in March 2021.

Monthly increases were higher in the seasonally adjusted CPI for health at 0.3 percent in April 2021, from 0.2 percent in the previous month; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services at 0.4 percent, from 0.1 percent.

Meanwhile, the monthly increment of the seasonally adjusted CPI for non-food eased to 0.2 percent in April 2021, from 0.3 percent in March 2021. Moreover, the deseasonalized CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages dropped by -0.1 percent during the month, from -0.4 percent in the previous month.

The month-on-month growth rate of the seasonally adjusted CPI for alcoholic beverages and tobacco remained at 0.8 percent during the month. Likewise, the deseasonalized CPI for clothing and footwear; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; and education retained their previous month’s rate of 0.2 percent.

The seasonally adjusted CPI for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; and recreation and culture both registered a zero percent growth in April 2021, from their previous month’s rates of -0.2 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.

The seasonal factor such as the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season pushed up the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house.

This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices of health and education.

Meanwhile, the indices of the following were unaffected by this seasonal factor during the month:

          a. All items;
          b. Food and non-alcoholic beverages;
          c. Non-food;
          d. Clothing and footwear;
          e. Recreation and culture; and
          f.  Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services. (Table 1)
 

2. National Capital Region (NCR)

In NCR, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items went down further by -0.3 percent in April 2021, from -0.2 percent in March 2021.

Month-on-month decreases were still observed during the month in the deseasonalized CPI of the following:

          a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, -0.3 percent from -0.5 percent;
          b. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; -0.5 percent from -0.9 percent; and
          c. Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, -0.1 percent from -0.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the monthly increase in the transport index decelerated to 0.1 percent in April 2021, from 1.0 percent in March 2021.

However, the seasonally adjusted CPI for alcoholic beverages and tobacco moved up at a faster pace of 0.5 percent from 0.3 percent. Moreover, the index of restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services rose by 0.7 percent during the month, from a -0.1 percent monthly change in the previous month.

Movements in the seasonally adjusted CPI during the month were the same as the previous month’s for the following commodity groups: clothing and footwear, 0.1 percent; and health and education, both at 0.2 percent; non-food, -0.2 percent; and  recreation and culture, zero percent growth.

The seasonal factor such as the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season pushed up the indices of the following:

          a. All items;
          b. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
          c. Non-food;
          d. Clothing and footwear;
          e. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels;
          f.  Furnishing, household equipment, and routine maintenance of the house; and
          g. Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; health; transport; and education. Meanwhile, the  index of recreation and culture was not affected by this seasonal factor. (Table 2)
 

3. Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

In AONCR, the deseasonalized CPI for all items picked up to 0.2 percent in April 2021, from zero percent growth in March 2021.

Monthly increments were higher in the seasonally adjusted CPI of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 0.9 percent in April 2021, from 0.8 percent in March 2021; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 0.6 percent from 0.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the deseasonalized CPI for non-food went up at a slower pace of 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent.

The index of food and non-alcoholic beverages decreased by -0.2 percent in April 2021, from -0.4 percent in March 2021.

Monthly hikes remained in the deseasonalized CPI of clothing and footwear; health; and education at 0.2 percent, and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services at 0.3 percent; while the index of recreation and culture index had a zero percent growth during the month.

The seasonal factor like the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season pushed up the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house.

On the contrary, this seasonal factor pushed down the index of education, while it did not affect during the month the indices of the following:

          a. All items;
          b. Food and non-alcoholic beverages;
          c. Non-food;
          d. Clothing and footwear;
          e. Health;
          f.  Recreation and culture; and
          g. Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services. (Table 3)
 

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