Cement sales rise 6% in H1

MANILA, Philippines - Cement sales rose six percent in terms of volume in the the first semester from a year ago due to stronger demand, the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) said.

CeMAP president Ernesto Ordonez said in a text message yesterday that total cement sales for the first six months of the year reached 10.718 million metric tons (MT), up from 10.136 million MT a year ago.

For the second quarter alone, cement sales climbed by 3.2 percent to 5.52 million MT from 5.349 million MT in the comparable period last year.

Compared to the first quarter’s 5.198 million MT, cement sales in the second quarter grew by 6.19 percent.

The increase in sales was seen amid higher demand from both the public and private sector.

Ordonez said there was a “DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) budget increase and private sector continued growth because of confidence in the government.”

Latest data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed government spending for infrastructure and capital outlay posted a 24.5 percent uptick to P93.7 billion as of April compared to last year’s P75.2 billion.

The notable infrastructure disbursements were channeled mostly to ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in communities devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The DBM said the increase in disbursements is also due to the Aquino administration’s stronger focus on strengthening the economy through infrastructure and capital outlay investments.

CeMAP expects total cement sales this year to exceed last year’s.

Total cement sales reached 19.445 million MT last year, six percent higher than the 18.356 million MT in 2012.

CeMAP is composed of the following: Cemex Philippines Group of Companies, Holcim Philippines, Inc., Lafarge Associated Companies, Northern Cement Corp., Pacific Cement Philippines, Inc. and Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc.