Month-on-Month

The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) went up to 1.1 percent in October from 0.2 percent in September. This can be attributed to the higher increments seen in the prices of cement, 0.6 percent in October from 0.3 percent in September; fuels and lubricants, 3.7 percent from 3.6 percent; and hardware, 1.1 percent from 0.3 percent. Moreover, prices of the following commodity groups picked up during the month from zero growth: lumber, 0.4 percent; paints, 0.8 percent; reinforcing steel, 4.9 percent; G.I. sheets, 0.3 percent; and exterior electrical equipment/supplies, 1.7 percent. On the other hand, prices of structural steel dropped to -1.0 percent from 0.1 percent; interior electrical fixtures and devices, -0.9 percent from 0.5 percent; and electrical rough-in materials, -0.7 percent from 0.8 percent. Plywood still posted a negative rate of 0.1 percent from -0.4 percent. Prices for the rest of the commodity groups generally remained stable as they registered zero growth this month.
 

Year-on-Year

The annual inflation rate of the CMWPI in NCR moved up to 13.8 percent in October from 12.9 percent in September. Higher annual rates were observed in the prices of the following commodity groups: lumber, 12.6 percent in October from 12.2 percent in September; fuels and lubricants, 35.9 percent from 33.0 percent; hardware, 8.3 percent from 7.8 percent; paints, 9.3 percent from 9.2 percent; reinforcing steel, 18.3 percent from 12.9 percent; and G.I. sheets, 14.7 percent from 14.4 percent. Slower annual inflation rates were however noted in sand, stone and gravel, cement, plywood, PVC pipes, concrete products, plumbing fixtures, structural steel, exterior electrical equipment/supplies, interior electrical fixtures and devices and electrical rough-in materials. Inflation for asphalt, aluminum and other metal products, blasting materials and machinery and equipment rental were zero while inflation for the rest of the commodity groups moved at their previous month's rates.

Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines