Month-on-Month

The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) went up by 0.7 percent in June from 0.6 percent in May. This was mainly due to the 2.6 percent increment in the inflation of concrete products from 0.6 percent growth last month. Higher growth rates in the prices of the following commodity groups also contributed to the uptrend: cement and wood products, 0.5 percent and 0.6 percent respectively from 0.2 percent; glass and glass products and reinforcing steel, 1.4 percent from zero growth; hardware, 0.1 percent from zero growth; and metal pipes, 1.5 percent from 0.4 percent. On the other hand, price increases were slower in sand, stone and gravel, plywood, fuels and lubricants, structural steel, interior electrical fixtures and devices and electrical rough-in materials. Prices for the rest of the commodity groups generally remained stable as they registered zero growth this month.

Year-on-Year

The annual inflation rate of the CMWPI in NCR accelerated to 6.7 percent in June from 6.5 percent in May. Annual price gains were higher in the prices of cement, plywood, fuels and lubricants, glass and glass products, hardware, metal pipes, concrete products, plumbing fixtures, paints, reinforcing steel, interior electrical fixtures and devices, and electrical rough-in materials. Slower annual inflation rates were however noted in sand, stone and gravel, lumber, wood products and exterior electrical equipments/supplies. An annual price decrease in structural steel at -3.5 percent was still observed from its last month�s rate of -4.4 percent. Inflation for the rest of the commodity groups moved 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: August 17, 2006