Fig. 1 Inflation Rate in the Philippines, All Items
(1994=100)

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
(1994=100)
NOVEMBER 2000

l By Region, Year-on-Year

® The inflation rate for MM advanced to 7.2 percent in November from 5.3 percent in October.

® Inflation in AOMM rose to 5.5 percent in November from 4.7 percent in October. All regions posted higher inflation rates except for Western Visayas which retained its previous month’s rate. The biggest increase was recorded in Western Mindanao at 1.5 percentage points followed by Ilocos at 1.4 percentage points. The lowest rate was registered in Eastern Visayas at 4.0 percent while the highest was still in ARMM at 8.9 percent.

lBy Commodity Group, Year-on-Year

è All the commodity groups posted higher inflation rates in November. FBT picked up to 4.6 percent in November from 2.9 in October; clothing, 3.0 percent from 2.7 percent; housing and repairs (H&R), 5.1 percent from 4.7 percent; FLW, 10.8 percent from 9.2 percent; services, 12.4 percent from 11.9 percent; and miscellaneous items, 3.2 percent from 3.0 percent.

èIn Metro Manila (MM), except for services, inflation rates for all the commodity groups were higher in November compared to those in October. FBT was significantly higher by 4.1 percentage points; clothing, 0.5 percentage point; H&R, 0.2 percentage point; FLW, 0.8 percentage point; and miscellaneous items, 0.5 percentage point. However, that for services was lower by 0.4 percentage point.

® For areas outside Metro Manila (AOMM), all the commodity groups posted higher inflation rates. The rates for FBT increased by 1.0 percentage point; clothing, 0.2 percentage point; H&R, 0.7 percentage point; FLW, 0.4 percentage point; services; 1.2 percentage points; and miscellaneous items, 0.1 percentage point.

• The inflation rate for food alone climbed to 3.8 percent in November from 3.0 percent in October.

• The inflation rate for rice moved up to 5.1 percent this month from 4.0 percent last month. Thirteen regions registered higher rates, the biggest increase was in CARAGA at 2.9 percentage points closely followed by Western Mindanao at 2.8 percentage points, Bicol, 2.5 percentage points and Southern Mindanao, 2.4 percentage points. Higher rates were also noted in the prices of cereal preparations, 3.3 percent from 3.0 percent; dairy products, 4.3 percent from 3.4 percent; fish, 4.7 percent from 4.5 percent; fruits and vegetables, 5.3 percent from 0.7 percent; meat, 1.6 percent from 1.1 percent; and miscellaneous foods, 2.3 percent from 2.2 percent.

• Inflation for corn declined to 4.7 percent in November from 5.3 percent in October and eggs, 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent.

lBy Region, Month-on-Month

èPrices in MM increased to 1.9 percent in November from 0.4 percent in October. The rate for FBT was notably higher by 3.8 percentage points. Clothing, H&R were higher by 0.2 percentage point and FLW by 1.8 percentage points. On the other hand, services was lower by 1.3 percentage points while miscellaneous items remained at its October rate of 0.9 percent.

èPrices in AOMM went up to 0.9 percent in November from 0.8 percent in October. Higher rates were observed in the prices FBT, 0.7 percent from 0.3 percent and services, 2.3 percent from 1.9 percent. Compared to October, eleven regions recorded higher rates. The highest rate was in Central Visayas at 1.8 percent followed by Ilocos at 1.7 percent while the lowest was in Western Visayas at 0.2 percent.

lBy Commodity Group, Month-on-Month

èFBT whose inflation rate picked up to 1.4 percent in November mainly contributed to the rise in the inflation rate. The other commodity groups posted lower rates or have retained their previous month’s rate. The rates for H&R slowed down to 0.6 percent from 0.7 percent; services, 1.7 percent from 1.8 percent; and miscellaneous items, 0.5 percent from 0.6 percent. Clothing and FLW remained at their October rate of 0.5 percent and 1.3 percent respectively.

• The delay and scarce supply of tropical vegetables in MM markets caused by typhoon Senyang considerably raised the fruits and vegetables index in MM by 24.8 percent in November from –2.5 percent in October. Higher prices of temperate vegetables during the latter part of the month also contributed the rise in the group’s index. Typhoons Reming and Senyang also destroyed crops in Luzon and Visayan provinces thus, vegetable prices in these areas were up during the month. In Mindanao vegetable prices were also observed to be higher. The index went up to 4.8 percent in November from 1.4 percent in October in AOMM. This resulted to a 9.7 percent increase in the national index from 0.4 percent in the previous month.

• Affected by the floods brought about by the typhoons, fish prices in MM and AOMM went up correspondingly to 2.5 percent and 0.6 percent this month from their respective rates of –0.4 percent and 0.0 growth in October. This gave a 1.0 percent increment in the national index.

• Increasing prices of chicken, pork and canned meat products pushed up the meat index in the Philippines, MM and AOMM to 0.6 percent, 1.1 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively from their corresponding October rates of 0.2 percent, 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent.

• The price of rice was still on the decline nationwide with the continuing harvest season. The index in the Philippines and AOMM dropped to –0.7 percent and in MM to –0.4 percent from their respective last month’s rates of –0.1 percent and –0.5 percent. Negative rates were still noted in thirteen regions. The lowest rate was in Western Visayas at –1.8 percent followed by Ilocos at –1.5 percent.

®Increases in land transport fares (bus, jeepney, taxi and tricycle) which only took effect in November in some provinces, together with higher prices of engine and lubricating oil pushed the services index up by 1.7 percent in the Philippines and 2.3 percent in AOMM. In Metro Manila, an increase of 0.3 percent was due to increased prices of lubricating oil and car batteries. These rates however, were lower than their corresponding rates of 1.6 percent in MM and 1.8 percent in the Philippines in October. In AOMM the rate was higher than the 1.9 percent recorded in October.