Year-on-Year
Measured from a year ago, the national inflation rate moved up to 4.8 percent in March from 4.4 percent in February.
Month-on-Month Month-on-month inflation rate increased to 0.8 percent from 0.4 percent last month.
By Region, Year-on-Year
Metro Manila registered an inflation rate of 7.0 percent in March from 6.6 percent in February.
The rate for areas outside Metro Manila (AOMM) increased to 4.0 percent from 3.6 percent the previous month.
Except for Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas, Western Mindanao and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which registered lower rates, the other regions recorded higher rates compared to February. The biggest increment was noted in Central Mindanao at 1.1 percentage points followed by Southern Tagalog and Southern Mindanao at 1.0 percentage point each. The inflation was still lowest in Eastern Visayas at -0.2 percent and highest in ARMM at 7.5 percent.
By Commodity Group, Year-on-Year
Among the commodity groups, only the inflation rates of food beverages and tobacco (FBT) and fuel, light and water (FLW) increased during the month. That of FBT was 0.9 percentage point higher while that of FLW by 0.3 percentage point.
The inflation for food alone increased to 1.7 percent in March from 0.6 percent in February.
The clothing rate was posted at 3.8 percent, lower than the 3.9 percent last month. Inflation for housing & repairs (H&R) slowed to 9.5 percent in March from 9.6 percent in February; services, to 11.5 percent from 11.8 percent; and miscellaneous items, to 1.6 percent from 1.7 percent.
For Metro Manila, rates were higher compared to February in FBT (0.9 percentage point), clothing (0.2 percentage point) and H&R (0.3 percentage point). Other groups registered lower rates compared to last month.
The inflation for food alone rose to 5.5 percent from 4.2 percent the previous month.
For AOMM, the FBT & FLW rates were higher in March compared to February, i.e., 1.1 percent from 0.4 percent in February and 9.1 percent from 8.5 percent, respectively. Inflation rates for clothing were down by 0.2 percentage point; H&R, 0.7 percentage point; services, 0.3 percentage point and miscellaneous items, 0.1 percentage point.
Except for Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas, Western Mindanao and ARMM, other regions posted higher rates in FBT. The inflation for food alone in AOMM was recorded at 0.7 percent in March compared to the decline of 0.2 percent in February.
The year-on-year rate for rice was still negative although it gained 2.6 percentage points in AOMM as eleven regions registered higher (lower negative) rates compared to February. Except for ARMM inflation rates for rice in the regions remained negative. Metro Manila posted a lower rate of 1.8 percent from 2.7 percent in the previous month. The national inflation rate for rice moved to -3.2 percent from -5.4 percent in February.
Corn prices were still on the decline in many regions with the national index decreasing by 9.1 percent from -7.6 percent in February. This resulted in a drop of -3.8 percent in the cereals index from -5.6 percent last month.
Rates for fish, meat and meals eaten outside the home declined by 0.2 percentage point, 0.1 percentage point and 0.3 percentage point, respectively. However, rates for the other food groups increased, i.e., cereal preparations, 0.2 percentage point; dairy products, 0.5 percentage point; eggs, 0.5 percentage point; fruits and vegetables, 3.1 percentage points (as the rate in Metro Manila was up to 23.3 percent from 14.9 percent); and miscellaneous foods, 0.2 percentage point. By Region, Month-on-Month
Prices in Metro Manila was up by 1.1 percent from the 0.9 percent last month. FBT and clothing posted higher month-on-month rates of 1.2 percent and 0.9 percent in March respectively. However, FLW, services, H&R, and miscellaneous items registered lower rates compared to February by 2.1 percentage point, 0.3 percentage point, 0.2 percentage point and 0.1 percentage point, respectively.
In AOMM, prices moved up by 0.7 percent from 0.3 percent last month. The FBT increased by 0.8 percent in March from zero growth last month while FLW rose by 1.3 percent from 1.1 percent in February. Clothing, H&R and services posted lower rates while the rate for miscellaneous items steadied at 0.2 percent.
Ten regions registered higher month-on-month rates. The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) posted the biggest increase of 1.7 percentage points. Rates for Central Visayas, Northern and Southern Mindanao and ARMM were lower compared to February. The highest month-on- month rate was noted in Bicol at 1.3 percent and the lowest at 0.2 percent in Eastern Visayas and ARMM. By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month
The over-all index moved up by 0.8 percent as the FBT index increased by 0.9 percent from zero growth last month.
The price of rice increased by 1.6 percent from 0.3 percent last month. Eleven regions posted higher rates. The inflation dropped by 0.1 percent in Southern Tagalog and ARMM and 0.2 percent in Central Visayas. Bicol posted the highest increment of 4.5 percent.
The price of corn decreased by 0.1 percent from last month's increase of 4.6 percent. Eleven regions including Metro Manila registered lower rates and six regions also including Metro Manila posted declines. The largest price decrease was noted in Western Visayas at 6.7 percent from an increase of 11.6 percent last February. In Metro Manila, corn was cheaper by 0.3 percent compared to zero growth last month.
Dairy products increased by 0.9 percent. In Metro Manila, higher prices of milk pushed up the index by 2.6 percent. In AOMM, the price increments ranged from 3.6 percent in Western Mindanao to 1.8 percent in Central Mindanao averaging to a 0.3 percent increase for the area.
Prices of eggs were higher by 0.5 percent at the national level, 1.7 percent in Metro Manila and 0.1 percent in AOMM.
The national index for fish increased by 1.5 percent. Low volume of fish unloadings increased the prices of fish by 3.2 percent in Metro Manila and 1.2 percent in AOMM from their corresponding rates of 1.3 percent and zero growth last month. Except for ARMM which registered a decrease of 0.1 percent in fish prices, all regions posted price increases during the month.
Higher prices of temperate vegetables and some fruits pushed up the fruits and vegetables index by 4.1 percent in Metro Manila and 0.6 percent in AOMM. The national index rose by 1.2 percent from a decline of 2.3 percent in February.
Meat prices went up by 0.8 percent in Metro Manila, higher than the 0.3 percent last month while in AOMM, prices increased by 0.1 percent after a decline of 0.1 percent in the previous month.
The miscellaneous foods index had zero growth in March as it increased by 0.5 percent in Metro Manila and decreased by 0.2 percent in AOMM.
Higher prices of shoes, ready-made apparel, textile fabrics and sewing charges in March due to graduation-related spending contributed to the increase in the clothing index in Metro Manila by 0.9 percent and 0.2 percent in AOMM. The national index increased at the same rate of 0.3 percent last February.
Higher rental rates and prices of construction materials resulted in a 1.1 percent increase in the H&R index in the Philippines, 1.9 percent in Metro Manila, and 0.3 percent in AOMM.
Higher prices of LPG, firewood, charcoal in almost all regions along with the increased electricity and water rates in some regions pushed up the FLW index in the Philippines by 0.6 percent and in AOMM by 1.3 percent. In Metro Manila, FLW posted a decrease of 1.4 percent as the price of kerosene declined along with lower generation charge and subsidized rate of electricity and currency exchange rate adjustment (CERA) for water rates.
Higher charges for recreational and personal services, telephone service and medicine prices raised the services index by 0.3 percent in the Philippines and 0.4 percent in AOMM. In Metro Manila, price cuts in gasoline and diesel oil depressed the services index by 0.1 percent in March.
Source: National Statistics Office
