Slower February inflation gives fresh BSP cut a boost
MANILA, Philippines (Updated, 12:02 p.m., March 5) — Consumer prices eased for the first time in three months in February, giving the central bank leeway to ease policy rates anew as economic officials devise an appropriate response to the impact of the coronavirus on an already-slowing economy.
Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, slowed down to 2.6% year-on-year in February from 2.9% in January and 2.8% same period a year ago, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Thursday.
It marked the first time that prices of basic goods and services tempered since October, when a low-base effect from 2018 tapered off and brought inflation back to the 2-4% target of the
For the first two months of the year, inflation settled at 2.8%.
All eyes on BSP
The latest data is
In a text message on Monday night, Diokno, who chairs the BSP's policy-making Monetary Board, signaled he is ready to do more to cushion the impact of the coronavirus in the economy. "One thing is certain: there will be no off-cycle MB move to cut policy rates," he said.
For
The BSP meets next to set policy on March 19.
Policy rates and bank reserves are crucial BSP tools to influence prices through the flow of money in the system. While lower reserves allow banks to set aside more funds for lending, lower rates signal also lenders to lower the interest of their loans.
Both of which allows more money in the financial system to support an economic growth that has slowed to 5.9% as of last year, an eight-year low.
Since being appointed last year, Diokno has followed his dovish signals with policy decisions that reversed his late predecessor's rate-tightening cycle in 2018 meant to cushion the impact of an inflation that hit a nine-year high of 5.2%.
Paying off
Those decisions are
Diokno may
The National Economic and Development Authority has estimated the effects of the outbreak to trim up to 1 percentage-point from economic growth.
On the inflation report, government statisticians said prices went up slower in the capital at 2% than outside of it, where they increased 2.8%.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, also slowed their growth to 3.2% in February from 3.9% same period a year ago.
Headline inflation slows for the first time in three months to 2.4% in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority announces Friday.
The PSA says this was a result of a 2.5% year-to-date average inflation for 2020.
Ang headline inflation o ang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin at serbisyo sa bansa ay bumagal ng 2.4 percent nitong Agosto 2020. #PHCPI #Inflation @mapa_dennis
— PSAgovPH (@PSAgovph) September 4, 2020
Headline inflation quickens to 2.7% in July, the Philippine Statistics Authority announces Wednesday.
This was a result of a 2.5% year-to-date average inflation for 2020. The PSA also says the reason for the increase in July inflation was the faster movement of transportation prices.
Ang headline inflation o ang pagtaas ng presyo sa mga bilihin at serbisyo sa bansa ay bahagyang bumilis sa 2.7 percent nitong Hulyo 2020. #PHCPI #Inflation
— PSAgovPH (@PSAgovph) August 5, 2020
Headline inflation, as measured by consumer price index, accelerates to 2.5% year-on-year, the first time it gained pace this year.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas earlier projected inflation to fall between 1.2% to 2.7%.
The country’s headline inflation in June 2020 went up to 2.5 percent, after four consecutive months of deceleration. #PHCPI #Inflation
— PSAgovPH (@PSAgovph) July 7, 2020
Headline inflation eases to 2.2% in April, the first month of the enhanced community quarantine in several areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the year-to-date inflation for this year slowed down to 2.6%, which is lower than April 2019's inflation at 3.0%.
The latest inflation rate is the slowest in five months since last November's 1.3%.
.@PSAgovph: Inflation has sustained its downtrend this year, accelerating 2.2% in April, the slowest for the year.
— Philstar Business (@philstarbiznews) May 5, 2020
Average inflation for the first four months hit 2.6%, well within the central bank's 2-4% target for 2020. pic.twitter.com/sfh6aWwyKI
Headline inflation increased by 2.5% in December 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority says in a briefing.
"This brings the annual average inflation for 2019 to 2.5%," it also says.
Headline inflation rose to 1.3% in November 2019 after bottoming to a 43-month low of 0.8% in October.
The government's target inflation range for 2019 was 2-4%.
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