The year-on-year headline inflation rate for all items in the Philippines in December 2009 rose to 4.4 percent from 2.8 percent in November 2009, as reported by the National Statistics Office (NSO).  Similarly, the December 2009 year-on-year headline inflation rates in the National Capital Region (NCR) and areas outside NCR (AONCR) also increased to 4.0 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively, from the previous month’s rates of 2.0 percent and 3.1 percent.  Meanwhile, core inflation rate, which excludes price change of selected food and energy items, accelerated to 3.2 percent from 2.7 percent in November 2009.

The seasonally adjusted consumer price index (SACPI) for Food, Beverages and Tobacco (FBT) in the NCR posted a 0.3 percent monthly growth in December from its previous month’s rate of –0.1 percent.  However, the SACPI for non-FBT decelerated to 0.6 percent from 0.7 percent during the same period.  In the case of AONCR, the month-on-month inflation of the SACPI for FBT decreased to 0.7 percent from 1.3 percent while for non-FBT, it went up to 0.8 percent from 0.4 percent in November 2009.

The generation of the CPI, inflation rates based on the CPI and the seasonally-adjusted CPI are designated statistical activities of the NSO under Executive Order 352, Designation of Statistical Activities That Will Generate Critical Data for Decision-Making of the Government and the Private Sector, issued on July 1, 1996.  Per EO, data on CPI and seasonally adjusted CPI should be made available five days and ten days, respectively, after the reference month.  The NSO released the December 2009 CPI and seasonally adjusted CPI on January 5, 2010, on the scheduled date and five days in advance, respectively, as per EO 352.  The CPI uses 2000 as base year.

For further inquiries on the CPI, please contact Ms. Rosie B. Sta. Ana, Chief of the Economic Indicators and Indices Division of the NSO, at telefax number 716-3935 or e-mail address R.Staana@census.gov.ph.

Links to data sources:
http://www.census.gov.ph/data/pressrelease/2010/cp0912tx.html
http://www.census.gov.ph/data/pressrelease/2010/cpsa0912tx.html