Month-on-Month Growth Rates
 

• Philippines

     At the national level, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items moved up at a slower pace of 0.5 percent in July from 0.6 percent in June and non-food, 0.2 percent from 0.5 percent. On the other hand, higher monthly increments were noticed in the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (1.3% from 0.9%);
• Clothing and Footwear (0.3% from 0.2%);
• Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House (0.4% from 0.3%); and
• Health (1.0% from 0.1%).

Monthly changes in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages remained at 0.7 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 0.6 percent; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.3 percent. The index of recreation and culture still posted a flat growth during the month while the index of education dropped by 6.7 percent from 1.3 percent.

     The lean month of July pushed down the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages while it did not affect the index for all items. However, this seasonal factor pushed up the indices of the other commodity groups (see Table 1).
 

• National Capital Region (NCR)

     The seasonally adjusted CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages in NCR went up by 0.9 percent in July from 0.8 percent in June and alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 0.6 percent from 0.4 percent. The index of recreation and culture also inched up by 0.2 percent from -0.3 percent. Meanwhile, slower monthly hikes were recorded in the indices of non-food at 0.4 percent from 0.6 percent and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent. The education index, however, dropped by 2.8 percent from 2.1 percent in the previous month. Movement in the index of restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services remained at 0.1 percent.

      The lean season during the month of July pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco;
• Non-food;
• Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House;
• Recreation and Culture;
• Education; and
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services.

However, this seasonal factor pushed down the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages (see Table 2).
 

• Areas Outside National Capital Region (AONCR)

     In AONCR, the increment of seasonally adjusted CPI for all items slowed down to 0.4 percent in July from 0.6 percent in June. Likewise, slower monthly gains were also recorded in the indices of non-food at 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.3 percent from 0.4 percent. Moreover, higher monthly rates were posted in the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages (0.7% from 0.6%);
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (1.4% from 0.9%);
• Clothing and Footwear (0.3% from 0.1%);
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (0.9% from 0.6%);
• Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House (0.5% from 0.2%);
• Health (0.6% from 0.2%); and
• Recreation and Culture (0.2% from zero growth).

On the other hand, movement of education index dropped by 8.0 percent from 0.7 percent.

     The seasonal factor like the lean season during the month of July did not affect the indices for all items and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels. This seasonal factor, however, pushed up the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco;
• Non-food;
• Clothing and Footwear;
• Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House;
• Health;
• Recreation and Culture;
• Education; and
• Restaurant and Miscellaneous Goods and Services.

Meanwhile, this seasonal factor pushed down the index of food and non-alcoholic beverages relative to the expected trend (see Table 3).