Year-on-Year

The annual change of the construction materials retail price index (CMRPI) in the National Capital Region went up to 5.0 percent in January from 4.1 percent in December. Higher annual increments were posted in electrical materials index at 8.9 percent in January from 7.7 percent in December; masonry materials index, 16.8 percent from 11.0 percent; painting materials and related compounds, 2.5 percent from 1.8 percent; and tinsmithry materials index, 0.5 percent from -2.0 percent. The rest of the commodity groups recorded slower annual rates.

Month-on-Month

The monthly adjustment in CMRPI in NCR rose 0.7 percent in January from 0.1 percent in December. The carpentry materials index inched up by 0.1 percent from zero growth; electrical materials index, 0.7 percent from 0.3 percent; masonry materials index, 3.8 percent from -1.1 percent; and painting materials and related compounds index, 0.2 percent from zero growth. Meanwhile, the monthly upticks in the rest of the commodity groups decelerated with the index for plumbing materials registering a 0.4 percent drop during the month from 1.5 percent.

Price hikes were noted in common wire nails, electrical wires and wiring devices, cement, gravel, sand, paints and steel bars. On the other hand, price cuts were seen in sanitary fixtures.