The National Economic and Development Authority credits the continued growth in manufacturing in May 2017 to the increase in production of construction- and export-oriented products.
These include basic and fabricated metals, and non-metallic mineral products, as shown in the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI) for May 2017 of the Philippine Statistics Authority, a NEDA-attached agency.
Fabricated metals registered a record-high growth of 116.9 percent while basic metals and non-metallic products increased by 29.1 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively.
These recorded increases led to an overall Volume of Production Index (VoPI) for manufacturing of 5.8 percent, faster than the 4.3 percent growth recorded in the previous month.
This also led to the 7.5 percent three-month moving average growth rate, reflecting a robust performance of the sector.
The Value of Production Index (VaPI) remained positive with a growth of 3.6 percent and a 5.9 percent three-month moving average.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said that construction products are expected to grow further toward the end of the year, backed by the governmentâs massive infrastructure development spending.
These include the continuing implementation of major infrastructure projects such as the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road, Cavite-Laguna Expressway, and PNR North South Commuter Rail.
âManufacturing output is expected to sustain its growth toward the end of the second quarter, driven by buoyant domestic demand and optimistic business outlook,â Pernia said.
Seventy-five flagship projects have been identified by the administration to address our huge infrastructure deficit.
Meanwhile, Pernia said that it is important to streamline efforts across all levels of government to ensure inclusive innovation.
âBureaucratic procedures at the national and local levels should be simplified across the country, from urban centers to far-flung areas. Market-driven research should also be made available to everyone so that firms, whether small or large, can expand production and reach larger markets,â he said.
Pernia noted that among the pillars of the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 is increasing growth potential (âpatuloy na pag-unladâ) which involves greater use of science, technology, and promoting innovation. The manufacturing sector stands to benefit much from this, Pernia said.
MISSI is a report that monitors the production, net sales, inventories, and capacity utilization of selected manufacturing establishments to provide flash indicators on the performance of the manufacturing sector.
