T&A: Research firm GfK has released a report comparing first quarter of 2009 results for the consumer electronics and home appliance sectors in the Philippines versus previous quarters.

In general, consumer electronics (CE) dropped by 8% in terms of value and 4% in terms of units compared to the same period last year. Only LCD TVs and Portable Media Player (MP3/MP4) posted positive growths of 4.5% and 2.6% in units respectively when comparing month-to-month from May to June 2009.

LCD TV sales growth was primarily fuelled by slashes in price while the increase in PMPs was due mainly to the demand in the NCR (National Capital Region) or Metro Manila area.

The report further shared that demand for digital still cameras suffered a decline from the previous month, as consumers shift their needs towards basic commodities, tuition fees, medical expenses and selected construction materials.

The big surprise is in mobile phones. Retailers experienced low customer traffic during the month of June due to the priority shift towards school needs. A new mobile phone player from China entered the market with cheap models touting TV-receiver functions.

For further analysis, check out the report below, produced with permission from GfK Philippines.