1. Philippines

The month-on-month growth of the deseasonalized Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items at the national level decreased to 0.4 percent in August 2022 from 0.6 percent in July 2022.

This was mainly due to the slower monthly increments in the seasonally adjusted CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages at 0.5 percent, from 1.0 percent; and clothing and footwear at 0.4 percent from 0.5 percent.

On the other hand, higher monthly increments were observed in the seasonally adjusted CPI for the following commodity groups:

a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 1.1 percent, from 1.0 percent;
b. Non-food at 0.4 percent, from 0.3 percent;
c. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 1.4 percent, from -0.1 percent;
d. Health at 0.3 percent, from 0.1 percent;
e. Education services at 2.2 percent, from -0.1 percent;
f. Restaurants and accommodation services at 1.1 percent, from 0.5 percent; and
g. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services at 0.5 percent, from 0.3 percent.

Meanwhile, the month-on-month increase of the seasonally adjusted CPI for furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance remained at 0.4 percent.

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

a. All items;
b. Non-food
c. Clothing and footwear;
d. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels;
e. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance;
f. Health;
g. Education services;
h. Restaurants and accommodation services; and
i. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services.

However, said seasonal factor had pushed down the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco. (Table 1)

2. National Capital Region (NCR)

The monthly increment of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items in NCR picked up to 0.9 percent in August 2022, from a negative growth of -0.1 percent in July 2022.

Faster monthly increments were also observed in the deseasonalized CPI for the following commodity groups:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages at 0.8 percent, from 0.6 percent;
b. Non-food at 1.1 percent, from -0.5 percent;
c. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 1.5 percent, from -1.4 percent;
d. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance at 0.3 percent, from 0.1 percent;
e. Education services at 7.6 percent, from 0.1 percent;
f. Restaurants and accommodation services at 2.6 percent, from 0.2 percent; and
g. Personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services at 0.5 percent, from -0.1 percent.

On the contrary, the month-on-month growth of the seasonally adjusted CPI for alcoholic beverages and tobacco decreased to 0.8 percent in August 2022, from 1.0 percent in July 2022.

Likewise, the monthly growth of the deseasonalized CPI for clothing and footwear dropped to -0.1 percent from its corresponding previous month’s growth of 0.7 percent.

Moreover, zero growth rates were observed in the deseasonalized CPI for health, and information and communication.

The seasonal factor such as the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season pushed up the indices of all items; non-food; clothing and footwear; health; education services; restaurants and accommodation services; and personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services.

While this seasonal factor pushed down the indices of the following: food and non-alcoholic beverages; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, it did not affect the indices of furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance; and information and communication. (Table 2)

3. Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

The monthly growth of the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items in AONCR decreased to 0.3 percent in August 2022, from 0.9 percent in July 2022.

Similarly, the monthly increments of the deseasonalized CPI for the following commodity groups decreased compared with their respective previous month’s levels:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages at 0.4 percent, from 1.1 percent;
b. Non-food at 0.2 percent, from 0.5 percent;
c. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance at 0.4 percent, from 0.5 percent; and
d. Restaurants and accommodation services at 0.5 percent, from 0.7 percent.

On the other hand, the month-on-month increments of the deseasonalized CPI were faster for the following commodity groups:

a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 1.2 percent, from 1.1 percent;
b. Clothing and footwear at 0.5 percent, from 0.4 percent;
c. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels at 1.4 percent, from 0.4 percent;
d. Health at 0.3 percent, from 0.2 percent; and
e. Education services at 0.9 percent, from zero growth.

Meanwhile, the seasonally adjusted CPI for personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services remained at 0.5 percent. Zero monthly growth, however, was observed in the seasonally adjusted CPI for information and communication.

The seasonal factor like the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season did not affect the indices of all items and information and communication.

Although this seasonal factor pushed down the indices for food and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as for alcoholic beverages and tobacco, it pushed up the indices for non-food; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance; health; education services; restaurants and accommodation services; and personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services. (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.