Year-on-Year

The annual movement in the construction materials retail price index (CMRPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) inched up 4.0 percent in May from 3.9 percent in April. A higher annual increment was noted in carpentry materials index at 0.1 percent in May from zero growth in April and masonry materials index, 17.8 percent from 16.0 percent. On the other hand, the annual gain in electrical materials index eased to 6.6 percent from 6.7 percent; painting materials and related compounds index, 0.8 percent from 1.2 percent; plumbing materials index, 1.2 percent from 1.5 percent; and tinsmithry materials index, 5.8 percent from 6.0 percent. The miscellaneous construction materials index continued to post negative annual rate of 2.2 percent from -3.3 percent.

Month-on-Month

The monthly uptick in the CMRPI in NCR decelerated to 0.1 percent in May from 0.3 percent in April. This can be attributed to the 0.1 percent drop in the index for electrical materials from 0.5 percent; painting materials and related compounds index, -0.4 percent from 0.6 percent; and tinsmithry materials index, -0.5 percent from 0.7 percent. The 0.1 percent decline still recorded in the indices of carpentry and plumbing materials also contributed to the downtrend. On the contrary, the masonry and miscellaneous construction materials indices correspondingly advanced to 1.7 percent and 0.5 percent from their respective last month’s rates of 0.8 percent and -0.1 percent.

Price cuts were noted in plywood, nails, selected wiring devices, paints, plumbing materials and corrugated GI sheet. Price hikes were however seen in gravel, sand, hollow blocks, steel bars and machine bolts and nuts.