Year-on-Year

The annual change of the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) continued to move at a faster pace of 6.7 percent in March 2018. Its annual rate in February 2018 was recorded at 6.3 percent and in March 2017, 3.8 percent.The fuels and lubricants index further accelerated by 23.3 percent. Moreover, higher annual gains were posted in the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Hardware (4.9%);
• Reinforcing Steel (6.2%);
• Structural Steel (7.8%);
• Tileworks (3.5%); and
• Electrical Works (3.2%).

Annual increases in the indices of the following commodity groups were however, slower during the month:

• Concrete Products (5.1%);
• Plywood (2.3%);
• Doors, Jambs, and Steel Casement (2.0%);
• Plumbing Fixtures and Accessories/Waterworks (1.2%);
• Painting Works (0.7%); and
• PVC Pipes (0.2%).

Downward movement was still recorded in cement index as its annual rate dropped by1.2 percent. Other commodity groups either retained their previous month’s rate or had zero growth (see Table 2).

Month-on-Month

The CMWPI in NCR continued to increase but at a slower pace of 0.4 percent in March 2018. Its rate in the previous month was recorded at 0.8 percent. The index of plywood fell by 0.1 percent. In addition, slower monthly increments were noted in the indices of lumber at 1.1 percent; structural steel, 0.3 percent; and fuels and lubricants, 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, the indices of the following commodity groups posted higher increases during the period:

• Sand and Gravel (0.2%);
• Hardware (0.8%);
• Reinforcing Steel (2.0%);
• Tileworks (1.8%); and
• Electrical Works (1.0%).