Year-on-Year

The annual rate of Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) slowly picks up during the month

The annual increase of CMWPI in NCR eased to 2.6 percent in October 2019. Its annual growth in September 2019 was posted at 3.8 percent and in October 2018, 4.7 percent. Annual decreases were seen in the indices of reinforcing and structural steel at 0.1 percent; doors, jambs, and steel casement, 0.2 percent; and fuels and lubricants, 4.1 percent. Compared with their annual rates in September 2019, slower annual increases were registered in the indices of sand and gravel at 5.7 percent; concrete products and cement, 4.6 percent; and G.I sheet, 3.7 percent. On the other hand, higher annual mark-ups were noted in the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Hardware, 1.6 percent;
• Plywood, 1.4 percent;
• Lumber, 4.1 percent;
• Tileworks, 4.6 percent;
• Electrical works, 3.4 percent;
• Plumbing fixtures and accessories/waterworks, 5.1 percent;
• Painting works, 0.3 percent; and
• PVC pipes, 3.7 percent.

The rest of the commodity groups had zero growth during the month (see Table 2).

Month-on-Month

CMWPI in NCR drops during the period

Measured from a month ago level, the CMWPI in NCR decreased by 0.3 percent in October 2019. In September 2019, its rate was noted at 0.5 percent. A decline of 1.5 percent was registered in the index of reinforcing and structural steel. Moreover, a slower monthly increase of 0.01 percent was posted in the index of concrete products and cement. Meanwhile, the indices of sand and gravel picked up by 0.2 percent, and fuels and lubricants, 0.8 percent from a decline of 0.3 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively. From zero growth in the previous month, increases were registered in the indices of the following commodity groups:

• Hardware, 0.9 percent;
• Plywood, 0.2 percent;
• Lumber, 0.5 percent;
• G.I. sheet, 0.01 percent;
• Tileworks, 1.0 percent;
• Electrical works, 0.6 percent;
• Plumbing fixtures and accessories/waterworks, 0.5 percent; and
• PVC pipes, 0.2 percent.

The group’s index for painting works retained its previous month’s rate of 0.2 percent, while the rest of the commodity groups had zero growth during the month (see Table 3).