CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
(1994=100)
SEPTEMBER 2000

l By Region, Year-on-Year

® The inflation rate for MM rose to 5.3 percent in September from 5.0 percent in August.

® Inflation in AOMM at 4.2 percent in September was slower than the 4.6 percent in August. Ten regions posted lower inflation rates. The biggest decrease was recorded in Ilocos at 1.1 percentage points followed by Central Luzon at 1.0 percentage point. The lowest rate was registered in Ilocos at 2.8 percent while the highest was still in ARMM at 9.4 percent.

l By Commodity Group, Year-on-Year

è Except for H&R whose rate increased to 4.2 percent in September from 3.9 percent in August, and clothing, to 2.4 percent from 2.3 percent, all other commodity groups posted lower inflation rates. FBT moved down to 2.6 percent in September from 2.7 in August; FLW, 10.4 percent from 11.8 percent; services, 11.5 percent from 11.6 percent; and miscellaneous items, 2.5 percent from 2.6 percent.

l By Region, Month-on-Month

• Prices in MM increased to 0.9 percent in September from 0.6 percent in August. The rates for FBT, H&R, and miscellaneous items were correspondingly higher by 0.8 percentage point, 1.2 percentage points and 0.2 percentage point. On the other hand, clothing, FLW, and services were lower by 0.2 percentage point, 2.4 percentage points and 0.8 percentage point, respectively.

• Prices in AOMM moved at 0.2 percent in September, slower than 0.7 percent in August. Lower rates were observed in the prices FLW, 0.7 percent from 1.0 percent; services, 0.3 percent from 0.7 percent; and miscellaneous items, 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent. Compared to August, eleven regions recorded lower rates. The lowest rate was in Ilocos at –0.6 percent while the highest was in Western Mindanao at 0.9 percent.

l By Commodity Group, Month-on-Month

• Except for H&R and clothing whose month-on-month inflation rates picked up in September, all other commodity groups posted lower rates. The rates for FBT slowed down to 0.4 percent from 0.8 percent; FLW, 1.1 percent from 2.0 percent; services, 0.4 percent from 0.9 percent; and miscellaneous items, 0.2 percent from 0.3 percent.

  • The price of rice in the Philippines and AOMM climbed up but at slower rate of 0.3 percent from their corresponding last month’s rates of 1.0 percent and 1.1 percent. Lower month-on-month rates were noted in eight regions. The lowest rate was in Southern Mindanao at –1.3 percent followed by Western Visayas at –1.1 percent, as the onset of the harvest season was observed in these regions. However, in MM, the index picked up to 0.5 percent this month from 0.4 percent a month earlier.

  • The heavy rains experienced during the middle of the month limited the inflow of vegetables in MM markets thus raising the fruits and vegetables index in MM by 1.2 percent in September from –3.1 percent in August. On the contrary, the group index in AOMM declined by 1.7 percent from an increase of 4.2 percent last month due to sufficient supply brought about by the favorable planting conditions prevailing during the month. This resulted to a 0.9 percent drop in the national index.

  • Affected by the recent floods, fish prices in MM and AOMM went up correspondingly to 2.1 percent and 0.8 percent this month from their respective rates of 1.7 percent and 0.1 percent in August. This gave a 1.1 percent increment in the national index.

  • Prices of miscellaneous foods in the three areas increased but at slower rates: 0.3 percent from 0.9 percent in the Philippines; 0.5 percent from 0.8 percent in MM; and 0.2 percent from 1.0 percent in AOMM. Prices of sugar, margarine, powdered tonic drink, patis, vinegar, salt and garlic went up in many areas during the month.

  • Higher prices of bread, flour, biscuits, noodles and native cakes pushed up the cereal preparations indices in the Philippines, MM and AOMM to 1.0 percent, 3.0 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively from their corresponding August rates of 0.3 percent, 1.0 percent and 0.1 percent.