Month-on-Month

The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) went up by 1.0 percent in April from 0.2 percent in March. This was mainly due to the 5.2 percent increment in the inflation of structural steel from 0.3 percent growth last month. Higher growth rates in the prices of the following commodity groups also contributed to the uptrend: fuels and lubricants, 3.5 percent from 1.4 percent; metal pipes, 0.2 percent from zero growth; concrete products, 0.5 percent from 0.2 percent; reinforcing steel, 1.1 percent from 0.5 percent; interior electrical fixtures and devices and electrical rough-in materials, 0.6 percent from -0.4 percent and -0.5 percent, respectively. On the other hand, price increases were slower in cement and paints. Prices for the rest of the commodity groups generally remained stable as they registered zero growth during the month. 
 

Year-on-Year

The annual inflation rate of the CMWPI in NCR accelerated to 5.1 percent in April from 4.6 percent in March. Annual price gains were higher in the prices of cement, metal pipes, concrete products, paints, structural steel, interior electrical fixtures and devices, and electrical rough-in materials. Slower annual inflation rates were however noted in hardware, reinforcing steel, and exterior electrical equipments/supplies. Annual price decreases in plywood and fuels and lubricants at -0.7 percent -1.2 percent, respectively were still observed from their corresponding last month�s rates of -0.6 percent and -2.8 percent. Inflation for the rest of the commodity groups were at their previous month�s rates while inflation for blasting materials and machinery and equipment rental was zero.

Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines

Page last revised: June 9, 2007