Wholesale prices of construction materials in Metro Manila went up by 0.9 per cent in January 2006 from their December levels, mainly because of higher inflation for cement and lumber. In its Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index report, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said the increase in prices in January was a turnaround from a 0.2 percent drop recorded in December 2005.

Cement prices rose 6.3 per cent month-on-month in January; lumber, 4.5 per cent and concrete products, 2.5 per cent. The NSO noted slower annual price increments in most construction materials, except cement, fuels and lubricants, concrete products, plumbing fixtures and aluminum and other metal products.
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