Month-on-Month Growth Rates
 

• Philippines
 

     At the national level, the monthly adjustment of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items moved up at a faster pace of 0.8 percent in February from 0.7 percent in January. Likewise, higher monthly increments were also recorded in the indices of non-food at 0.7 percent from 0.3 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 0.5 percent from 0.1 percent; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 0.4 percent from 0.2 percent. On the other hand, slower monthly increases were noted in the following commodity groups:    

• Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages (0.8% from 0.9%);
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (4.3% from 4.5%);
• Clothing and Footwear (0.2% from 0.3%);
• Health (0.3% from 0.6%); and
• Recreation and Culture (0.1% from 0.2%).

The indices for education and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services retained their previous month’s rates of 0.2 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

     The seasonal factor like the bigger volume in production of selected goods in preparation for the graduation season pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• All Items;
• Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages;
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco;
• Clothing and Footwear;
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels;
• Health; and
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services.

This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices of recreation and culture and education while it did not affect the indices of non-food and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house (see Table 1).

• National Capital Region (NCR)

     In NCR, the seasonally adjusted CPI for furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house moved up at a faster rate of 0.2 percent in February from 0.1 percent in January and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, the increment in alcoholic beverages and tobacco index decelerated to 4.6 percent from 7.0 percent. The same previous month’s rates were registered in the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages (0.9%);
• Non-food (0.3%);
• Recreation and Culture (0.1%); and
• Education (0.2%).

     The seasonal factor like the increase in volume of production for selected items in preparation for the graduation season pushed up the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; and non-food relative to the expected trend. On the contrary, this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; recreation and culture; and education. This seasonal factor, however, did not affect the index for restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services (see Table 2).

• Non-food;
• Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House;
• Recreation and Culture; and
• Education.

• Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

     The monthly change of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items in AONCR remained at 0.7 percent in February; clothing and footwear, 0.3 percent; and education, 0.2 percent. Moreover, the increases in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages slowed down to 0.7 percent from 0.9; health, 0.4 percent from 0.7 percent; and recreation and culture, 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent. On the other hand, higher mark-ups were recorded in the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (4.3% from 4.2%);
• Non-food (0.5% from 0.3%);
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (0.5% from 0.1%);
• Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House (0.5% from 0.2%); and
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (0.5% from 0.3%).

     Relative to the expected trend, the seasonal factor like the bigger in volume of production in selected commodities in preparation for the graduation season pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• All Items;
• Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages;
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco;
• Clothing and Footwear;
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels;
• Health; and
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services.

This seasonal factor, however, pushed down the indices of recreation and culture and education while it did not affect the indices of non-food and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house (see Table 3).

Note :  Accompanying this report are the summary tables showing the Seasonally Adjusted CPI for the 2006-based series.