Year-on-Year

The annual increase in the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in NCR moved up at a slower pace of 2.0 percent in February from 2.3 percent in January. The fuels and lubricants index further went down by 2.6 percent in February from -1.7 percent in January. Moreover, slower annual gains were recorded in the indices of the following commodity groups: sand and gravel (4.3% from 5.5%); hardware (2.5% from 2.6%); G.I. sheet (1.6% from 2.5%); reinforcing steel (3.6% from 4.0%); structural steel (3.3% from 3.6%); doors, jambs and steel casement (1.7% from 1.8%); electrical works (3.6% from 4.0%); plumbing fixtures and accessories/waterworks (1.7% from 2.0%); painting works (1.5% from 1.7%); and PVC pipes (1.4% from 1.5%). Higher annual growths were however observed in the indices of cement, plywood, lumber, tileworks and glass and glass products. Movement in the machinery and equipment rental index was still zero while those for the indices of concrete products and asphalt remained at their last month’s rates of 2.6 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

Month-on-Month

Compared with January, the month-on-month growth of the CMWPI inched up 0.3 percent in February from 0.2 percent in January. It resulted from an upward adjustment in the cement index at 0.8 percent in February from 0.4 percent in January; tileworks index, 0.6 percent from 0.3 percent; and fuels and lubricants index, 2.2 percent from 0.5 percent. From zero growth, the indices of glass and glass products and painting works also grew by 0.1 percent. The rest of the commodity groups had a zero growth.

Prices of cement, tiles, glass and glass products, selected paints, gasoline and diesel were on the uptrend during the month.