October 2009

• Month-on-Month

  The month-on-month movement of the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) was negative at - 0.2 percent in October from 0.1 percent in September. This was brought about by the corresponding decreases in the prices of fuels and lubricants and structural steel at -1.3 percent and -0.7 percent from their respective last monthÒ³ rates of 0.8 percent and 0.7 percent. From zero growth, the corresponding indexes of cement and wood products also recorded negative rates of -0.1 percent and -0.7 percent, respectively. Prices for the rest of the commodity groups generally remained stable as they registered a zero growth during the period.
  

• Year-on-Year

  The annual movement of the wholesale prices of construction materials in NCR continued to drop at -2.2 percent in October from -3.5 percent in September. Annual price declines were noted in plywood (-3.2% from -4.2%); fuels and lubricants (-18.6% from -22.4%); reinforcing steel (-8.9% from -11.8%); and structural steel (-6.8% from -8.7%). Moreover, slower annual price gains were observed in wood products, hardware, PVC pipes, G.I. sheets, exterior electrical equipment and supplies, interior electrical fixtures and devices, electrical rough-in materials and UPVC water pipes. Annual price increments were however higher in cement, lumber and paints. The other commodity groups retained their last monthÒ³ annual growth rates while that for blasting materials and machinery and equipment rental index was still zero.

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  NOTE :

  Revisions of the monthly series from December 2007 to May 2008 were made due to the updates made by the official source on machinery and equipment rental rates last June 25, 2008.

  Source: National Statistics Office
  Manila, Philippines

  Page last revised: November 14, 2009