1. Philippines

At the country level, the deseasonalized CPI for all items picked up to 0.6 percent in August 2021, from 0.4 percent in July 2021.

Higher month-on-month increases were noted in the seasonally adjusted CPI of the following commodity groups:

          a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, 1.3 percent from 0.3 percent;
          b. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 0.5 percent from 0.4 percent;
          c. Clothing and footwear, 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent;
          d. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 0.6 percent from 0.5 percent;
          e. Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services,
              both at 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent; and
          f.  Recreation and culture, 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent.

On the other hand, monthly increments were slower in the deseasonalized CPI for non-food at 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent, and education, 0.1 percent from 1.0 percent. The index for health retained its previous month’s rate of 0.3 percent.

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

          a. Non-food;
          b. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels;
          c. Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house;
          d. Health;
          e. Recreation and culture; and
          f.  Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices for all items; food and non-alcoholic beverages; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; and education, while it did not affect the index for clothing and footwear. (Table 1)
 

2. National Capital Region (NCR)

In NCR, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items rose to 0.5 percent in August 2021, from 0.3 percent in the previous month.

Month-on-month increases were faster in the deseasonalized CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages at 0.8 percent in August 2021, from 0.4 percent in July 2021; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 0.5 percent from 0.4 percent; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.4 percent from 0.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the month-on-month increment of the seasonally adjusted CPI for alcoholic beverages and tobacco slowed down to 0.4 percent from 0.7 percent. Moreover, the deseasonalized CPI for transport and education dropped month-on-month to -0.7 percent and -0.1 percent in August 2021, respectively, from their corresponding previous month’s rates of 0.2 percent and 1.3 percent.

The seasonally adjusted CPI for non-food moved at its previous month’s rate of 0.3 percent. Similarly, the month-on-month growth rate in the deseasonalized CPI for furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house and health both remained at 0.2 percent, while that for clothing and footwear, and recreation and culture had zero percent growth during the month.

The seasonal factor such as the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season pushed down the indices for all items; food and non-alcoholic beverages; and alcoholic beverages and tobacco.

However, this seasonal factor pushed up the indices of the following:

          a. Non-food;
          b. Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house;
          c. Health;
          d. Transport;
          e. Recreation and culture; and
          f.  Education.

This seasonal factor did not affect the indices of clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services. (Table 2)
 

3. Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

The seasonally adjusted CPI for all items in AONCR moved up at a faster pace of 0.6 percent in August 2021, from 0.4 percent in July 2021.

Monthly hikes were higher in the deseasonalized CPI of the following commodity groups:

          a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, 1.4 percent from 0.2 percent;
          b. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 0.5 percent from 0.4 percent;
          c. Non-food, 0.4 percent from 0.3 percent;
          d. Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.4 percent from 0.1 percent.

Moreover, the seasonally adjusted CPI for furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house also rose to 0.3 percent during the month, from zero percent in the previous month.

On the other hand, month-on-month upticks slowed down in the deseasonalized CPI for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 0.5 percent from 0.6 percent, and health, 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent.

The deseasonalized CPI for clothing and footwear, and recreation and culture both moved at its previous month’s rate of 0.2 percent, while that for education had registered a zero percent growth, from 1.2 percent in the previous month.

The seasonal factor like the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season pushed down the indices of the following:

          a. All items;
          b. Food and non-alcoholic beverages;
          c. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco; and
          d. Education.

This seasonal factor, however, pushed up the indices of the following:

          a. Non-food;
          b. Clothing and footwear;
          c. Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels;
          d. Furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house;
          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.