1. Philippines

The deseasonalized CPI for all items at the national level posted a zero percent month-on-month growth in April 2023. This was the same monthly growth rate recorded in March 2023.

Likewise, the seasonally adjusted CPI for non-food index registered a zero percent monthly rate, from a 0.2 percent monthly increase in the previous month.

Among the nine commodity groups, two recorded higher monthly increments in April 2023. These were the indices of furnishings, household  equipment  and  routine  household  maintenance  at 0.3 percent, and health at 0.4 percent, both from 0.2 percent monthly rate in March 2023.

Meanwhile, slower month-on-month growth rates were recorded in the deseasonalized CPI of the following commodity groups:

          a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 1.6 percent from 2.1 percent;
          b. Clothing and footwear, 0.3 percent from 0.4 percent; and
          c. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.4 percent from 0.5 percent.

On the other hand, the food and non-alcoholic beverages index still recorded a -0.3 percent month-on-month decrement, while the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index dropped by -0.1 percent from 0.4 percent monthly increment in the previous month.

The seasonally adjusted CPI for education services still posted a 0.2 percent monthly increase in April 2023.

The seasonal factors, such as the degree of demand of selected commodities during the season, pulled down the indices for all items; food and non-alcoholic beverages; and education services.

However, these seasonal factors pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

          a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
          b. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels;
          c. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance; and
          d. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services.

The indices of non-food; clothing and footwear; and health, however, were not affected by these seasonal factors. (Table 1)

2. National Capital Region (NCR)

Mixed movements were observed on the monthly growth rates of the seasonally adjusted CPI for 10 commodity groups in NCR in April 2023. The indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; and furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance rose to 0.5 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, both from a -0.3 percent monthly decrease in the previous month.

The month-on-month growth rates inched up in the indices of clothing and footwear at 0.1 percent in April 2023 from zero percent monthly rate in March 2023; health and education services both at 0.4 percent from 0.3 percent; and recreation, sport and culture at 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent.

The monthly growth rate of personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services index went up at a faster pace of 0.5 percent from 0.2 percent, while the alcoholic beverages and tobacco index remained at 1.6 percent.

On the contrary, month-on-month growth rates dropped for the indices of non-food at -0.1 percent from 0.3 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at -0.5 percent from 1.0 percent.

The seasonal factors, such as the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season, pulled down the indices of food and non- alcoholic beverages; health; and education services.

However, these seasonal factors pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

          a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
          b. Non-food;
          c. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels;
          d. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance; and
          e. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services.

The seasonal factors, meanwhile, did not affect the indices of clothing and footwear; and recreation, sport and culture. (Table 2)
 

3. Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

For AONCR, a -0.1 percent monthly decline was registered in the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items in April 2023 from a zero percent monthly rate in March 2023.

The monthly rate for the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages went down at a faster rate of -0.4 percent from -0.2 percent in the previous month. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels also recorded a monthly decline of -0.3 percent from 0.1 percent. Moreover, month-on- month rate for the restaurants and accommodation services index decelerated to 0.5 percent from 0.6 percent.

On the other hand, higher monthly increments were noted in the deseasonalized CPI of the following commodity groups for this month:

          a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 2.1 percent from 1.9 percent;
          b. Clothing and footwear, 0.5 percent from 0.4 percent;
          c. Health, 0.4 percent from 0.3 percent; and
          d. Information and communication, 0.1 percent from zero percent monthly rate.

Non-food registered a monthly increment of 0.1 percent in April 2023 from a monthly drop of -0.1 percent in March 2023.

Meanwhile, the indices of furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance; and education services remained at their previous month’s increments of 0.4 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.

The seasonal factors, like the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season, pulled down the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages; and education services.

However, these seasonal factors pushed up the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance; and restaurants and accommodation services.

Meanwhile, the indices for all items; non-food; clothing and footwear; health; and information and communication were not affected by the seasonal factors. (Table 3)
 

DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General


See more at the Seasonally Adjusted Consumer Price Index main page.