February 2010

• Month-on-Month

  The month-on-month growth rate of the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) dropped to -0.3 percent in February from 0.5 percent in January. This can be attributed to the price reductions observed in the indexes of the following commodity groups: fuels and lubricants, -2.2 percent from 3.2 percent; hardware, -1.3 percent from 0.7 percent; metal pipes, -2.9 percent from 1.6 percent; reinforcing steel, -0.5 percent from 0.2 percent; and lumber, -0.1 percent from -0.7 percent. From zero growth, the corresponding indexes of paints and structural steel also recorded negative rates of -1.4 percent and -1.5 percent. Moreover, slower price gains were noted in the indexes of G.I. sheets, interior electrical fixtures and devices and electrical rough-in materials. On the other hand, price increases were seen in the indexes of plywood, asphalt, glass and glass products and PVC pipes. The rest of the commodity groups remained stable as they posted a zero growth while cement and exterior electrical equipment/supplies index retained their last month's rates.
  

• Year-on-Year

  The annual movement of the CMWPI in NCR was still negative at -0.3 percent in February from -0.6 percent in January. Annual price decreases were registered in the index of lumber at -0.7 percent; plywood, -1.7 percent; wood products, -4.6 percent; asphalt, -8.4 percent; hardware, -0.1 percent; metal pipes, -1.3 percent; paints, -1.0 percent; reinforcing steel, -4.6 percent; and structural steel, -4.4 percent. Slower annual price increments were likewise noticed in the indexes of sand, stone and gravel, concrete products, plumbing fixtures and tileworks. However, annual additions were higher in the prices of cement, fuels and lubricants, glass and glass products, PVC pipes, G.I. sheets, exterior electrical equipment/supplies, interior electrical fixtures and devices, electrical rough-in materials and UPVC water pipes. The growth rate in the prices of aluminum and other metal products index was still at its previous month's annual rate while that for blasting materials and machinery and equipment rental index was zero.

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: March 18, 2010