April 2008
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Month-on-Month
The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded an increase of 2.5 percent in April from 1.0 percent in March. This can be attributed to the higher increments noted in the prices of sand, stone and gravel at 1.1 percent in April from 0.3 percent in March; cement, 2.4 percent from 0.6 percent; fuels and lubricants, 3.7 percent from 2.1 percent; hardware, 2.4 percent from 0.2 percent; concrete products, 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent; reinforcing steel, 5.0 percent from 1.6 percent; and structural steel, 7.2 percent from 3.5 percent. In addition, prices of lumber and metal pipes correspondingly went up to 0.8 percent and 4.1 percent from zero change. On the other hand, slower rates were observed in the price hikes of interior electrical fixtures and devices, machinery and equipment rental and electrical rough-in materials. Price reduction was noted in plywood at -0.1 percent while prices for the other commodity groups generally remained stable as they posted zero growth during the month.
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Year-on-Year
The annual growth rate of the CMWPI in NCR moved up to 7.1 percent in April from 5.5 percent in March. Higher annual movements were registered in the prices of sand, stone and gravel, cement, lumber, fuels and lubricants, hardware, metal pipes, reinforcing steel and structural steel. However, slower annual rates were seen in concrete products, paints, interior electrical fixtures and devices and electrical rough-in materials. For four consecutive months, an annual price decline was still noticed in exterior electrical equipment/supplies at -1.2 percent in April. Likewise, the annual price decrease in machinery and equipment rental was noted at -7.2 percent from -8.7 percent. The rest of the commodity groups retained their previous month's rates while inflation for plywood, aluminum and other metal products and blasting materials were zero.
Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines
Page last revised: June 6, 2008
