Year-on-Year

The annual growth of the Construction Materials Retail Price Index (CMRPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) picked up to 1.5 percent in August. It was 1.3 percent last month and 1.8 percent in August 2013. Higher annual increments were posted in carpentry materials index at 1.7 percent; electrical materials index, 1.8 percent; and tinsmithry materials index, 3.7 percent. Annual declines were however, registered in the indices of masonry materials at -0.4 percent; plumbing materials, -0.5 percent; and miscellaneous construction materials, -1.1 percent. The painting materials and related compounds index moved at its last month’s rate of 3.0 percent.

Month-on-Month

On a monthly basis, the growth in CMRPI in NCR eased to 0.2 percent in August. A drop of 2.4 percent was recorded in masonry materials index. Moreover, slower monthly gains were correspondingly noted in the indices of carpentry materials and painting materials and related compounds at 0.5 percent and 0.3 percent. On the other hand, higher annual increases were seen in plumbing materials index at 0.4 percent, tinsmithry materials index, 0.5 percent and miscellaneous construction materials index, 1.3 percent. The adjustment in electrical materials index remained at 0.1 percent.

Higher prices of faucet, shower valve, tinsmithry materials and steel bars were tempered by the price reductions in cement, gravel and sand.