Thursday, 20 May 2010 00:00 [ manilatimes.net ]
BY DARWIN G AMOJELAR Senior Reporter
PRICES of construction materials in Metro Manila rose last month, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.
The NSO said the retail prices of selected construction materials went up by 0.6 percent in April, reversing the 0.4-percent contraction in the same period last year.
Prices of construction materials were flat in March.
“Price hikes were seen in electrical wires, selected wiring devices, cement, gravel, sand, sanitary fixtures and steel bars,” NSO said.
A higher price increase was noted in the electrical materials index at 0.6 percent in April from zero in March; masonry materials and plumbing materials, 0.3 percent from -0.1 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively; and miscellaneous construction materials, 6.5 percent from 0.8 percent previously.
Price decreases were, however, observed in the indices of carpentry materials and tinsmithry materials at -0.2 percent and -0.6 percent from their corresponding rates of -0.1 percent and zero in March.
The same rate of 0.2 percent was posted by the index of painting materials and related compounds.
On a monthly basis, the electrical materials index rose 5 percent in April from 3.4 percent in March; masonry materials, 1.2 percent from 1 percent; painting materials and related compounds and plumbing materials, 2.1 percent from 1.7 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively; and miscellaneous construction materials, 5.9 percent from -2.2 percent.
The NSO said the annual price decline in the carpentry materials index remained at -1.2 percent, while the upward price adjustment in the tinsmithry materials index slowed to 4.1 percent from 4.7 percent.
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