Year-on-Year

• Measured from a year ago, the national inflation rate slowed down to 4.6 percent in April from 4.8 percent in March.

Month-on-Month

• The month-on-month inflation rate also slowed down to 0.1 percent from 0.8 percent last month.

By Region, Year-on-Year

• The inflation rate in Metro Manila slowed down to 6.0 percent from 7.0 percent
• The rate for areas outside Metro Manila (AOMM) remained at 4.0 percent.
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  • Eight regions registered higher rates compared to last month. The biggest increment was noted in Bicol at 0.9 percentage point. The inflation rate was highest in ARMM at 8.2 percent and the lowest in Eastern Visayas at 0.4 percent. Six regions posted lower rates compared to March ranging from 0.2 percentage point (Central Mindanao) to 0.7 percentage point (Western Visayas) offsetting the increases in the rates which resulted to a stable year-on-year rate in AOMM.
• By Commodity Group, Year-on-Year
• Except for services which inflation rate remained at 11.5 percent, all other groups registered lower rates compared to March. The inflation for housing and repairs (H&R) slowed down to 8.8 percent from 9.5 percent; food, beverages and tobacco (FBT), to 1.8 percent in April from 1.9 percent; fuel, light and water (FLW), to 9.4 percent from 10.5 percent; miscellaneous items, to 1.4 percent from 1.6 percent; and clothing, to 3.5 percent from 3.8 percent.
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  • The inflation for food alone declined to 1.6 percent from 1.7 percent in March.
• For Metro Manila, the inflation for FBT slowed down by 1.2 percentage points; H&R by 0.9 percentage point; FLW by 4.0 percentage points and miscellaneous items, by 0.2 percentage point. Services and clothing rates remained at their March levels of 9.5 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively
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  • The inflation for food alone decreased to 4.4 percent from 5.5 percent.
• For AOMM, only FBT registered a higher rate than the previous month by 0.1 percentage point. Other groups posted lower rates, i.e., clothing, by 0.5 percentage point; H&R, by 0.4 percentage point; and FLW, services and miscellaneous, all by 0.1 percentage point.
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  • Seven regions recorded higher inflation in FBT. The inflation for food alone in AOMM rose to 0.9 percent from 0.7 percent in March.
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  • The year-on-year rate for rice in AOMM decreased at a slower rate to -3.1 percent in April from -3.8 percent in March as nine of the regions registered higher (slower declines) rates compared to March. In AOMM, only ARMM posted an increase (3.4 percent) during the month. The price of rice in Metro Manila also increased, by 1.2 percent in April from 1.8 percent last month. The national inflation rate for rice was -2.6 percent from -3.2 percent.
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  • Corn prices continued to be low in most regions resulting in an inflation rate of -7.5 percent though less than the -9.1 percent in March. This brought the inflation rate for cereals to -3.1 percent from -3.8 percent last month.
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  • Rates for fruits and vegetables slowed down to 4.1 percent from 6.9 percent at the national level. In Metro Manila, the rate dipped to 12.8 percent from 23.3 percent last month due to lower prices of fruits in season, tomatoes, potatoes and other temperate vegetables. In AOMM, nine regions registered lower rates, resulting in a 2.3 percent increase in April from 3.6 percent in March.
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  • The rate for meat decelerated to 4.9 percent from 6.0 percent. Ten regions including Metro Manila posted lower rates for meat compared to March.
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  • Lower rates were likewise recorded in dairy products at 3.3 percent and 2.9 percent in April from 3.4 percent and 3.3 percent the previous month in the Philippines and AOMM, respectively. However in Metro Manila, the rate for dairy products rose to 4.3 percent in April from 3.8 percent the previous month.
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  • Rates for eggs, fish and miscellaneous foods went up to 4.3 percent in April from 3.2 percent in March, 5.9 percent from 5.4 percent, and 0.6 percent from 0.4 percent, respectively.
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  • Rates for cereal preparations and meals eaten outside remained at their March levels of 5.5 percent and 3.6 percent.
• By Region, Month-on-Month
• Prices in Metro Manila were generally down at -0.1 percent from an increase of 1.1 percent last month. The FBT index was measured at -0.7 percent compared to the increase of 1.2 percent last month. The miscellaneous items index also decreased to -0.1 percent from an increase of 0.2 percent in March. Clothing and H&R registered lower month-on-month rates of 0.2 percent from their respective rates of 0.9 percent and 1.9 percent in March. However, FLW and services rates rose to 1.8 percent and 0.1 percent from their corresponding rates of -1.4 percent and -0.1 percent last month.
• In AOMM, prices increased by 0.2 percent, lower than the increase of 0.7 percent last month. All the major groups registered lower month-on-month rates compared to March, i.e. FBT, 0.2 percent from 0.8 percent; clothing, zero from 0.2 percent; H&R, 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent; FLW, 0.5 percent from 1.3 percent; services, 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent; and miscellaneous items, 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent.
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  • Nine regions posted lower month-on-month rates, of which five regions had no (zero) change in the index namely, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Western Visayas, Northern and Central Mindanao. The highest inflation rate was observed in ARMM at 0.9 percent followed by CAR at 0.8 percent.
• By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month
• The national index slowed down to 0.1 percent from 0.8 percent last month. This was largely influenced by the decline in the month-on-month rate of the Metro Manila FBT index from 1.2 percent in March to -0.7 percent in April.
• Corn prices increased by 1.5 percent in April from the -0.1 percent in March. Nine regions including Metro Manila posted higher rates compared to March. The highest rate was noted in Western Mindanao at 5.5 percent, while negative rates were registered in CAR at -1.4 percent and Southern Tagalog and ARMM at -0.2 percent.
  • The price of rice increased by 0.9 percent from 1.6 percent last month. Eight regions including Metro Manila posted lower rates. Except for Western Mindanao, the other four regions in Mindanao registered negative rates ranging from -0.1 percent (Southern Mindanao) to -0.8 percent (ARMM). The highest rate was recorded in Ilocos region at 4.9 percent.
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  • Fruits and vegetables were cheaper at -3.4 percent compared to the price increase of 1.2 percent last month. Thirteen regions including Metro Manila registered price decreases of which the biggest was in Metro Manila at -7.0 percent followed by Central Luzon at -6.2 percent and Cagayan Valley at -4.6 percent.
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  • The fish index slowed down to 0.5 percent from 1.5 percent last month. In Metro Manila, fish prices were lower at -1.3 percent from the increase of 3.2 percent last month. In AOMM, Northern Mindanao and ARMM recorded decreases in fish of -0.7 percent and -0.3 percent, respectively. Other regions registered positive rates, of which six were lower compared to their previous month's levels.
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  • Lower rates were also noted in meals eaten outside at 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent in March, and dairy products at 0.1 percent from 0.9 percent. However, rates for meat and cereal preparations remained at 0.4 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively. The miscellaneous foods index increased to 0.3 percent from zero last month.
• The rate for FLW increased to 0.8 percent from 0.6 percent in March. In Metro Manila, the increase in the distribution charge of electricity along with the increase in CERA for water pushed up the FLW index by 1.8 percent from -1.4 percent the previous month. In AOMM, lower prices of LPG and kerosene in April slowed down the month-on-month rate to 0.5 percent from 1.3 percent in March.
• The H&R index increased by 0.2 percent from 1.1 percent last month. Eight regions posted zero increment in April while upticks in rental rates resulted in increases in the index in six regions ranging from 0.1 percent (Southern Mindanao) to 2.2 percent (Central Mindanao). This resulted in an overall increment of 0.2 percent, correspondingly lower than 1.1 percent in the Philippines, 1.9 percent in Metro Manila and 0.3 percent in AOMM in March.
• Higher prices of gasoline and diesel along with the increase in the charges of personal and recreational services in most regions brought the inflation in services to 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent last month in the national level. Metro Manila registered an increase of 0.1 percent in April from -0.1 percent while AOMM posted 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent in March.
• The miscellaneous items index was stable in April from an increase of 0.2 percent last month. Metro Manila registered a change of -0.1 percent from 0.2 percent while AOMM had an increase of 0.1 percent from an increase of 0.2 percent last month.
• Lower prices of some ready-made apparel and footwear contributed to the negative rates in the clothing index in six regions. In Metro Manila, the clothing index slowed down to 0.2 percent from 0.9 percent last month. This resulted in the slowing down of the rate to 0.1 percent in April from 0.3 percent at the national level.

Source: National Statistics Office