Year-on-Year

The year-on-year increase in the Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) eased to 2.0 percent in August from 2.5 percent in July. A slower annual increment was noted in cement index at 5.5 percent in August from 6.2 percent in July; reinforcing steel index, 1.8 percent from 1.9 percent; glass and glass products index, 0.4 percent from 0.6 percent; painting works index, 0.5 percent from 0.6 percent; PVC pipes index, 1.2 percent from 1.3 percent; and fuels and lubricants index, 1.3 percent from 4.9 percent. The rest of the commodity groups either had a higher annual gain or moved at their last month’s rates with the machinery and equipment rental index still posting a zero growth.

Month-on-Month

Measured from a month ago level, wholesale prices of selected construction materials in NCR went up but at a slower pace of 0.1 percent in August from 0.3 percent in July. The monthly growth in fuels and lubricants index improved to 0.4 percent from 1.8 percent. Meanwhile, the cement index rose 0.8 percent from 0.2 percent and sand and gravel index and reinforcing steel index, 0.2 percent from zero growth. Movement in the electrical works index remained at its previous month’s rate of 0.1 percent while those for the other commodity groups were zero.

Price upticks in diesel oil, cement, selected hardware items, steel bars and some electrical works were noted during the month.