The expenditure on consumer spending continued to grow from 3.4 percent in the first semester last year to 3.6 percent this year.             

Food expenditures which account for almost 53 percent of total PCE grew by 2.9 percent, 0.3 percentage points higher than the 2.6 percent growth recorded the previous year. This translates to a 1.6 percentage points contribution to the growth of total PCE. 

The combined transportation and communication expenditures accelerated to a 13.8 percent growth from a 8.3 percent expansion recorded a year ago. The increase in the volume of passengers of MRT and LRT and the increase in the number of newly registered private motor vehicles are indicators of increasing transportation expenditures. Likewise, the surge in the total volume of domestic and international calls, the continued additions in the number of wireless subscribers, the substantial rise in the number of short messages sent and the expansion in the use of the internet boosted the expenditures on communication.  The increase in the number of wireless line subscribers was affected by the increasing popularity of wireless communication and text messaging due to aggressive marketing campaign and innovations in the services of leading mobile phone companies and the affordability and convenience of such means of communication.  The introduction and popularity of television game shows which offer big prizes using text messaging as a means to participate attracted a lot of users and helped propel communication expenditures. 

The heightened expenditures in education, personal, medical and health and other miscellaneous services propelled the total miscellaneous expenditures to a 5.1 percent growth, which translates to a 15 percent share to the total PCE level. 

All the other sub-sectors of PCE also increased during the period except for fuel, light and water, which contracted by 1.1 percent on account of the slippage in electricity consumption of household consumers.

Source: National Statistical Coordination Board

*Population figures are from the N.S.O. based on 1990 Census of Population and Housing

Data are as of 29 August  2002.