Month-on-Month

Compared with March, the monthly growth of the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region moved up at a slower rate of 0.7 percent in April from 0.8 percent in March. This was effected by the -0.1 percent decline in the fuels and lubricants index from 2.2 percent last month. Likewise, the monthly increments in the indices of cement and painting works correspondingly eased to 0.4 percent and 0.2 percent from 1.5 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, higher monthly increases were recorded in the indices of sand and gravel, concrete products, hardware, plywood, lumber, reinforcing steel, structural steel, glass and glass products, doors, jambs and steel casement, electrical works and PVC pipes. The index for plumbing fixtures and accessories/waterworks retained its last month's rate of 0.1 percent while those for G.I. sheet, asphalt and machinery and equipment rental indices was zero.

Roll backs in the prices of diesel oil were observed during the month. However, prices of gravel, cement, hollow blocks, paints, concrete and roofing nails, plywood, lumber, steel bars, angle bars, glass products and some electrical works were on the uptrend.

Year-on-Year

The annual growth rate of the CMWPI in NCR slowed down to 4.0 percent in April from 5.2 percent in March as the cement index continued to post a negative rate of -3.3 percent from -3.4 percent. In addition, slower annual rates were noticed in the indices of forteen commodity groups. On the other hand, the Lumber index went up by 4.1 percent from 3.8 percent; doors, jambs and steel casement index, 3.9 percent from 3.7 percent; and PVC pipes index, 3.4 percent from 2.6 percent. The annual changes in some commodity groups either remained at their last month's rates or were zero.

Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines

Page last revised: May 09, 2012