A DECLINE in carpentry material prices tempered the overall increase in construction costs in Metro Manila in September, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.
The Construction Materials Retail Price Index (CMRPI) in the National Capital Region rose by 1 percent in September 2025, slightly slower than the 1.1 percent recorded in August.
The year-on-year growth was also lower compared to 1.2 percent in the same month last year.
The softer uptick was mainly due to a 0.1 percent annual decline in the index of carpentry materials, reversing the 0.3 percent increase posted in the previous month, per PSA.
Other material groups also registered slower annual increases, such as the plumbing materials easing to 0.1 percent from 0.4 percent.
Meanwhile, electrical materials contracted to 1.8 percent from 1.9 percent, masonry materials to 1.4 percent from 1.5 percent and miscellaneous construction materials to 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent.
In contrast, painting materials and related compounds saw a slightly faster rise of 2.2 percent in September from 2.1 percent in August.
The index for tinsmithry materials remained unchanged at 1.8 percent.
The CMRPI tracks retail price movements of construction materials commonly purchased by individual consumers and small-scale builders, serving as an indicator of trends in the residential construction sector.