December 2008

• Month-on-Month

            On a monthly basis, the Retail Price Index of Selected Construction Materials in NCR continued to register a negative rate at -0.6 percent in December from -2.2 percent in November. This was due to the declines of plumbing materials and miscellaneous construction materials index at -0.5 percent and -3.5 percent, respectively. On the other hand, higher monthly growth rates were correspondingly observed in electrical and masonry materials index at 0.6 percent and 0.2 percent from their respective previous monthÒ³ rates of -0.6 percent and zero growth. Price increase of carpentry materials remained at 0.1 percent while those for plumbing materials and related compounds and tinsmithry materials remained stable as they posted a zero growth during the month.

            Price reductions were noted in GI pipes and steel bars. Meanwhile, prices of selected electrical wires, cement and gravel were on the uptrend. 
   

• Year-on-Year

            The annual growth rate of the Retail Price Index of Selected Construction Materials in NCR further decelerated to 6.1 percent in December from 6.7 percent in November. Slower annual growth rates were recorded in plumbing materials index at 3.5 percent in December from 4.2 percent in November; tinsmithry materials, 10.9 percent from 11.1 percent; and miscellaneous construction materials, 2,3 percent from 5.7 percent. The rest of the commodity groups however posted higher annual growth rates.

   

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  Source:    National Statistics Office
                    Manila, Philippines

  Page last revised:   January 22, 2009