Building permit applications during the first quarter of 1997 increased by 4 percent reaching to 25,119 from 24,127 received during the same period in 1996. Figure 1 shows the distribution of building permit applications by region during the first quarter of 1997.

• Applications for residential building construction decreased by 0.8 percent from 17,897 to 17,760 while those for non-residential buildings rose by 10 percent from 2,497 to 2,742. Additions and alterations/repairs to existing structures numbered 4,617 or 24 percent from 3,733 recorded during the first quarter of 1996. See Figure 2 for a comparison of the number of building permit applications by type of building for the first quarter of 1996 and 1997.

• Construction activities perked up in five provinces as the growth reached to more than 100 percent. These provinces are Aurora (150 Percent), Camarines Norte (164 percent), Guimaras (127 percent), Southern Leyte (114 percent) and Agusan del Sur (158 percent).
  

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• The total value of building construction amounted to P37.21 billion representing an increase of 31 percent from P28.30 billion recorded during the first quarter of 1996. Value of construction for residential buildings went down by 5 percent from P7.94 billion to P7.89 billion. Non-residentlal projects increased by 42 percent to P26.72 billion from P18.81 billion. Those for additions, repairs and alterations registered at P2.59 billion from P1.56 billion or an increment of 66 percent. Figure 3 compares the value by type of building construction for the first quarter of 1996 & 1997.

• By region, the value of building construction in Metropolitan Manila Area remained highest at P25.97 billion, accounting for 70 percent of the total value.

• Other regions with relatively high construction values reaching to more than P1 billion were Central Luzon (P1.50 billion); Southern Tagalog (P3.83 billion); Central Visayas (P1.14 billion) and Southern Mindanao (P1.01 billion).
  

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• Among residential type of building projects, application for single-type house still accounted for the largest proportion of 76 percent numbering to 13,442 and valued at P5.67 billion. Figure 4 shows a comparison of the number and value by type of residential building construction during the first quarter of 1996 and 1997.

• Applications for construction of apartment/accesoria grew by 271 percent to 3,159 from 852 recorded during the same period in 1996.

• The total value of residential building construction was estimated at P7.89 billion with floor area of 1.74 million square meters. This translate to an average cost per square meter of P4,543.

• Compared to P4,265 during the first quarter of 1996, average cost per square meter increased by 6 percent in nominal terms. In real terms, however, average cost per square meter of residential building increased by only 2 percent.

• For non-residential buildings, applications for commercial type ranked highest with 1,413 and total value of P1.57 billion. Industrial buildings had 449 applications valued at P2.28 billion. See Figure 5 for the number and value by type of non- residential building construction during the first quarter of 1997.

• The average cost per square meter of non-residential buildings during the first quarter of 1997 was P1O,680 or an increase of 29 percent from P8,232 in the same quarter of last year. In real terms, however, the average cost per square meter of non-residential building increased by only 24 percent.