Month-on-Month

The monthly change of the retail price index of selected construction materials in the National Capital Region (NCR) went up at a slower rate of 0.3 percent in April from 0.6 percent in March. The increase in electrical materials index eased to 0.3 percent in April from 1.3 percent in March; masonry materials index, 0.1 percent from 0.6 percent; painting materials and related compounds index, 0.2 percent from 0.8 percent; and miscellaneous construction materials index, 1.4 percent from 1.6 percent. A zero growth was recorded in plumbing materials index while the rest of the commodity groups have higher monthly growth rates.

Price add-ons were noted in plywood, lawanit, cement, gravel, paints, sand paper, corrugated GI sheet and plain round steel bars.

Year-on-Year

The annual growth rate of the retail price index of selected construction materials in NCR slowed down to 2.9 percent in April from 3.1 percent in March. The tinsmithry materials index still recorded a negative annual rate of -2.2 percent in April from -2.4 percent in March. Moreover, the annual increment in carpentry materials index decelerated to 2.1 percent from 2.3 percent; electrical materials index, 2.2 percent from 2.5 percent; painting materials and related compounds index, 3.7 percent from 4.4 percent; and plumbing materials index, 1.4 percent from 3.3 percent. The rest of the commodity groups registered higher annual gains.

Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines