Construction materials’ wholesale price index in NCR eases in Dec ‘17

Declines in the wholesale price indices of cement and PVC pipes (Pexels photo)

MANILA – The wholesale price index of construction materials in the National Capital Region (NCR) eased last December, compared to the previous month.

Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Thursday showed that the wholesale price index of construction materials last month was at 4.3 percent, lower than November 2017’s 4.7 percent; and 3.1 percent year-on-year in December 2016.

Declines in the wholesale price indices of cement and PVC pipes at -2.7 percent and -0.2 percent contributed to the slowdown of construction materials’ price index.

Aside from the decrements in the wholesale price indices of cement and PVC pipes, slower growth was also recorded in electrical works, growing by 0.4 percent; painting works, up by 1 percent; sand and gravel, 1.5 percent; tile works, up by 1.5 percent; lumber, up by 2.7 percent; reinforcing steel, up by 3.4 percent; structural steel, up by 4.6 percent; and fuels and lubricants, up by 14.8 percent.

On the other hand, the price indices of hardware, GI sheet, doors, jambs, and steel casement, as well as plumbing fixtures and accessories/waterworks were higher in December 2017.