Month-on-Month

The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) registered a slower rate of increment of 0.2 percent in December from 0.3 percent in November. Negative rates were noted in the following commodity groups: fuels and lubricants (-0.3% from -2.0%); glass and glass products (-0.4% from zero growth); reinforcing steel (-0.3% from 0.7%); structural steel (-0.7% from 0.7%); and exterior electrical equipment/supplies (-0.7% from 3.6%.). On the other hand, growth rates in the following commodity groups went up during the month from zero growth: sand, stone and gravel, cement and paints, 0.8 percent; lumber, 0.5 percent; and concrete products, 0.3 percent. Likewise, higher rates were correspondingly observed in the prices of G.I. sheets and aluminum and other metal products at 4.0 percent and 7.0 percent from their respective last month�s rates of 1.2 percent and 5.8 percent. Price increase for hardware was still at 0.2 percent while the rest of the commodity groups posted zero growth.
 

Year-on-Year

The annual inflation rate of the CMWPI in NCR accelerated to 5.4 percent in December from 4.9 percent in November. Higher annual price adjustments were seen in the prices of sand, stone and gravel, cement, lumber, fuels and lubricants, concrete products, paints, structural steel, G.I. sheets, and aluminum and other metal products. Annual inflation for the rest of the commodity groups were either slower or were at their last month�s rates.

Source: National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines

Page last revised: February 19, 2007