Year-on-Year

On an annual basis, the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) in September 2016 moved at its August rate of 1.7 percent. It decreased however, by 1.1 percent in September 2015. Higher annual mark-ups were posted in the indices of cement and reinforcing steel at 2.9 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, slower annual increases were seen in the indices of sand and gravel at 3.3 percent; concrete products, 2.1 percent; hardware and electrical works both at 0.6 percent; and plumbing fixtures and accessories/waterworks, 1.2 percent. Moreover, annual declines were still registered in the indices of lumber at -0.5 percent; G.I. sheet, -2.7 percent; structural steel, -3.8 percent; tileworks, -1.1 percent; doors, jambs and steel casement, -1.6 percent; and painting works, -0.4 percent. The rest of the commodity groups recorded a flat growth with the indices for plywood and PVC pipes retaining their previous month’s rates of 0.8 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively (Table 2).

Month-on-Month

The wholesale prices of selected construction materials in NCR generally inched up 0.1 percent in September 2016. Last month, the rate was -0.2 percent. The indices of fuels and lubricants gained 0.6 percent and sand and gravel, 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, a slower increment of 0.1 percent was noted in cement index. All the other commodity groups registered a flat growth during the month (Table 3).

Prices of gasoline, diesel and gravel were higher during the month.