On a monthly basis, the Retail Price Index of Selected Construction Materials in NCR went down to -0.3 percent in February from 0.1 percent in January. This was due to the declines in the price indices of the following commodity groups: carpentry materials (-0.4 % from 0.2 %), electrical materials (-0.2% from -10.2 %), painting materials and related compounds (-0.2% from 0.1%) and miscellaneous construction materials (-1.8% from 0.8 %). On the other hand, higher monthly growth rates were observed in the indexes of masonry materials and plumbing materials at 0.4 percent from their respective previous month�s rates of 0.2 percent and -0.2 percent and tinsmithry materials, 1.5 percent from zero growth.

On a monthly basis, the Retail Price Index of Selected Construction Materials in NCR continued to register a negative rate at -0.6 percent in December from -2.2 percent in November. This was due to the declines of plumbing materials and miscellaneous construction materials index at -0.5 percent and -3.5 percent, respectively. On the other hand, higher monthly growth rates were correspondingly observed in electrical and masonry materials index at 0.6 percent and 0.2 percent from their respective previous monthÒ³ rates of -0.6 percent and zero growth. Price increase of carpentry materials remained at 0.1 percent while those for plumbing materials and related compounds and tinsmithry materials remained stable as they posted a zero growth during the month.

The month-on-month growth rate of the retail prices of selected construction materials in NCR further dropped to -4.8 percent in October from -2.3 percent in September. This can be attributed to the decreases in the indexes of miscellaneous construction materials and plumbing materials at -20.3 percent and -0.1 percent in October from their respective previous month's rates of -9.9 percent and 0.8 percent. In addition, price increments in masonry materials and painting materials and related compounds correspondingly eased to 0.1 percent and 1.0 percent from 1.8 percent 1.6 percent, respectively. Prices of tinsmithry materials recorded a zero growth rate from an increase of 0.2 percent in September.