Year-on-Year Growth Rates, All Items
April 2013 - April 2014
| Month | Philippines | Luzon | Visayas | Mindanao |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | ||||
| April | 5.2p | 5.0p | 5.2 | 7.0 |
| March | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 7.8 |
| February | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 6.7 |
| January | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 7.6 |
| 2013 | ||||
| December | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 9.2 |
| November | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 8.9 |
| October | 2.9 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 8.9 |
| September | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 8.7 |
| August | 1.5 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 7.5 |
| July | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 8.2 |
| June | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 6.9 |
| May | 0.2 | -0.5 | 0.8 | 6.4 |
| April | -1.4 | -2.2 | -0.8 | 5.7 |
p - preliminary
Year-on-Year
The year-on-year growth of the General Wholesale Price Index (GWPI) at the national level went up to 5.2 percent in April. Last month, the index moved at 4.6 percent and in April 2013, -1.4 percent. The increase was due to a higher annual increment in the mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index at 8.7 percent. Slower annual gains were however, noticed in the indices of the following commodity groups during the month: food, 3.7 percent ; beverages and tobacco, 5.6 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels, 39.6 percent; chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats, 7.6 percent; machinery and transport equipment, 2.4 percent; and miscellaneous manufactured articles, 0.8 percent. For three consecutive months, the manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index gained 1.3 percent.
In Luzon, the GWPI climbed 5.0 percent in April. Higher annual upticks were correspondingly observed in the indices of food and mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials at 2.1 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, movement in the beverages and tobacco index slowed down to 5.9 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels index, 43.9 percent; chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats index, 9.0 percent; machinery and transport equipment index, 2.6 percent; and miscellaneous manufactured articles index, 0.5 percent. The manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index retained its last month’s rate of 0.9 percent.
Similarly, the GWPI in Visayas advanced 5.2 percent in April. A faster annual hike was noted in the heavily-weighted food index at 6.4 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels index, 18.3 percent; mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index, 8.6 percent; chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats index, 3.7 percent; and machinery and transport equipment index, 1.9 percent. Those for the indices of beverages and tobacco; manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials; and miscellaneous manufactured articles eased to 0.3 percent; 3.3 percent; and 1.0 percent, respectively.
Annual movement in the GWPI in Mindanao improved to 7.0 percent in April as slower annual increases were noted in the indices of food at 12.2 percent; crude materials, inedible except fuels, 6.9 percent; machinery and transport equipment, 1.4 percent; and miscellaneous manufactured articles, 2.5 percent. The rest of the commodity groups posted higher annual growths with the beverages and tobacco index retaining its last month’s rate.
By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month
On a monthly basis, wholesale prices at the national level inched up 0.2 percent in April. The food index moved up 1.0 percent and manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index, 0.2 percent. However, declines were noticed in the indices of the following commodity groups: crude materials, inedible except fuels (-2.3%); mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (-0.3%); and chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats (-0.2%). The monthly changes in the other commodity groups remained stable as they posted zero growths.
The 1.1 percent gain in the food index in Luzon was brought about by the increments in the prices of chicken, some live animals chiefly for food, rice, selected fruits, ginger, cooking oil, and some condiments and spices. In addition, desiccated coconut was priced higher in the area during the month. Price mark-ups in some animals chiefly for food, ginger, calamansi, peanuts, selected vegetables and sugar were also noticed in Mindanao. Thus, its group’s index rose 1.1 percent. On the other hand, lower prices of selected fish species and some fruits and vegetables pushed down its group’s index in Visayas by 0.1 percent. At the national level, the group’s index grew by 1.0 percent.
The manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials index in Luzon and in Mindanao increased by 0.2 percent. Prices of plywood, lumber, cement, tiles, G.I. sheets, glass products and some hardware items were on the uptrend in Luzon. In Mindanao, upward adjustments in the prices of some travelling bags, plywood and hollow blocks were also noted during the month. Moreover, the group’s index in Visayas rose 0.1 percent as prices of plywood, door jambs and door panels went up during the month. In the Philippines, the group’s index inched up 0.2 percent.
Higher prices of copra raised the crude materials, inedible except fuels index in Visayas by 2.1 percent. However, reductions in the prices of copra in Luzon effected the 2.9 percent decline in its group’s index. In Mindanao, prices of charcoal were lower, hence, its group’s index recorded a negative monthly rate of 0.3 percent. These mixed price movements caused a 2.3 percent drop in the group’s national index.
The mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials index in Mindanao rose 1.4 percent and in Visayas, 0.2 percent. The growths were due to price hikes in gasoline and diesel oil in the two areas during the period. Increments in the prices of these petroleum products were also observed in Luzon. However, the downward adjustments in the prices of crude petroleum oil along with the price rollbacks in kerosene, fuel oil and LPG pushed down its index in the area by 0.4 percent. Thus, the national index went down by 0.3 percent.
A 0.8 percent uptick was noticed in the index for chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats in Visayas and 0.1 percent in Mindanao. This was brought about by price gains in some medical and pharmaceutical preparations and selected cosmetics and toilet preparations in the two areas. Higher prices of selected basic industrial chemicals in Visayas also contributed to the uptrend. On the other hand, the group’s index in Luzon declined by 0.4 percent as prices of coconut oil were lower during the month. These factors resulted to a 0.2 percent decrease in the group’s national index.
A 0.1 percent add-on in the miscellaneous manufactured articles in Visayas was due to higher prices of selected wristwatches in the area. Meanwhile, lower prices of other miscellaneous manufactures items pulled down its group’s index in Mindanao by 0.1 percent. In Luzon, prices of some sanitary fixtures were up during the month while downward adjustments were observed in the prices of plumbing fixtures. These offsetting price movements effected a zero growth in the group’s index in the area. A zero growth was seen in the group’s national index.
In Visayas, higher prices of some agricultural machineries and equipment raised the machinery and transport equipment index by 0.1 percent. In Luzon, Mindanao and in the Philippines, the group’s index remained stable as their indices had zero growth.
The beverages and tobacco index in the four areas had a zero growth during the month.
Notes:
GWPI by sub-group for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and at the national level are also available upon request at NSO, Industry and Trade Statistics Department, Economic and Indicators Division (Telephone Numbers: 716-39-35 and 715-33-47).
