Construction materials price edged up 0.1% in December

By Daryl Rose Virtudazo

The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) inched up 0.1 percent in December 2015.

Based on statistics released Thursday, the CMWPI dropped by 0.2 percent in November last year and by 0.1 percent in December 2014. Except for the indices of cement; reinforcing steel; and fuel and lubricants, all the commodity groups posted positive annual growths. Glass and glass products index continued to register flat growth for three consecutive months.

The annual average rate of the CMWPI for the year in 2015 went down by 0.7 percent compared to 1.9 percent growth in 2014. The annual average changes in the indices of cement and fuels and lubricants correspondingly decreased by 0.2 percent and 16.5 percent. Higher annual average growths were, however, recorded in the indices of plywood at 4.0 percent; asphalt, 0.6 percent; and machinery and equipment rental, 36.9 percent. Other commodity groups exhibited slower annual average increments during the year.

Meanwhile, the month-on-month change of the wholesale prices of selected construction materials in NCR fell by 0.5 percent in December.

Last month, the CMWPI gained by 0.2 percent. Except for fuels and lubricants index which recorded 4.3 percent decline during the month, all other commodity groups had flat growths.

Prices of gasoline, diesel and fuel oil were generally lower during the month.

Year-on-Year and Month-on-Month Growth Rates
of theConstruction Materials Wholesale Price Index
in the National Capital Region