sq.m. – square meters
Php ‘000 – in thousand pesos
p – preliminary
Note: Details of floor area and value may not add up to their respective totals due to rounding.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Number of Constructions

1. Number of Constructions Decreased

The number of constructions from approved building permits in the fourth quarter of 2023 was posted at 1,699 indicating an annual decrease of 1.9 percent from the 1,732 total number of constructions in the same quarter of the previous year. (Table A)

2. Residential Buildings had the Highest Number of Construction

By type of construction, residential buildings reported the highest number of constructions of 1,064 or 62.6 percent of the total number of constructions during the quarter. This type of construction declined at a rate of 11.8 percent of the same quarter of the previous year. The majority of the total residential constructions were single-type houses. (Figure 1a and Tables 1 and A)

Non-residential type of constructions ranked second with 482 or 28.4 percent of the total number of constructions during the quarter. This number indicates an increase of 10.6 percent of the same period of the previous year. About 75.3 percent of the non-residential constructions were commercial buildings. (Figure 1b and Tables 1 and A)

Addition, which refers to any new construction that increases the height or area of an existing building/structure, and alteration and repair of existing structures, had shares of 0.3 percent and 8.7 percent to the total number of constructions, respectively. Compared with their respective annual rates in the same period of the previous year, addition had no changes while alteration increased by 76.2 percent. (Table A)

3. Number of Constructions was Highest in Cebu (Excluding HUCs)

Of the total constructions in the Province of Cebu, Cebu registered the highest number of constructions with 1,1051 (61.9 percent share) during the quarter. It was followed by the City of Cebu with 416 (24.5 percent share), the City of Lapu-Lapu with 138 (8.1 percent share), and the City of Mandaue with 94 (5.5 percent share). (Figure 2)

Value of Constructions

1. Total Value of Constructions Increased

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the total value of constructions amounted to PhP7.13 billion, reflecting an annual increase of 5.0 percent from the PhP6.79 billion value of constructions posted in the same quarter of the previous year. (Table A)

2. Non-Residential Type Recorded the Highest Value of Construction

Non-residential building constructions, valued at PhP4.08 billion accounted for 57.3 percent of the total value of constructions of the period. This amount increased by 17.4 percent from the PhP3.48 billion total construction value in the same quarter of the previous year. (Figure 3b and Tables 1 and A)

The value of residential constructions, which amounted to PhP2.51 billion, accounted for 35.2 percent of the total value during the quarter. This reflects a decline of 17.7 percent from the PhP3.05 billion value of residential construction in the same quarter of the previous year. (Figure 3a and Tables 1 and A)

For this quarter, the value of construction for addition, alteration and repair to existing structures amounted to Php32.41 million (0.5 percent share) and Php506.78 million (7.1 percent share), respectively. The value of construction for addition decreased at an annual rate of 10.5 percent from the recorded PhP36.2 million construction value for the same quarter of last year while the value for alteration and repair to existing structures expanded at an annual rate of 126.3 percent from the Php223.92 million construction value from the same period of last year. (Table A)

Of the PhP7.13 billion value of construction recorded, City of Lapu-Lapu got the highest contribution with PhP2.83 billion or 39.7 percent of the total. This was followed by the City of Cebu with PhP1.8 billion or a 25.2 percent share, the Cebu Province (excluding HUCs) with PhP1.74 billion or a 24.4 percent share, and the City of Mandaue with PhP765.77 million or a 10.7 percent share.

Floor Area

1. Reported Total Floor Area of Constructions Decreased

This quarter's total floor area of construction was registered at 482,337 square meters. This reflects an annual decrement of 17.8 percent compared with the floor area of 482,337 square meters of the same period of the previous year. (Table A)

2. Non-residential-type accounted for more than half of the Province’s Total Floor Area of Construction

Non-residential constructions recorded 292,784 square meters or 60.7 percent of the total floor area of constructions during the quarter. This translates to an annual decrement of 6.3 percent from the 312,456 square meters of total floor area of the same period last year. (Table A)

Meanwhile, residential constructions recorded 186,221 square meters, or 38.6 percent of the total floor area of constructions this year. This translates to an annual decrement of 31.1 percent from the 270,222 square meters of total floor area of the same period of the previous year. (Table A)

Average Cost per Square Meter

1. Average cost of construction Increased

The average cost of construction in the fourth quarter of 2023, excluding those for alteration and repair, and other non-residential, was recorded at PhP14,788.64 per square meter. It increased at an annual rate of 27.8 percent compared with the average cost of PhP11,567.64 of the same period of the previous year. (Table 1)

2. Non-Residential construction had the highest average cost of construction

Among types of construction, non-residential buildings had the highest average cost of PhP13,949.07 per square meter during the quarter. This was closely followed by residential buildings with PhP13,447.79 per square meter, and addition to existing structures with PhP9,727.85 per square meter. (Table 1)

3. Apartment/Accessoria construction was the most expensive among types of residential construction

Among residential constructions, apartment/accessoria posted the highest average cost of PhP16,182.45 per square meter during the quarter. This was followed by residential/condominium with an average cost of PhP15,668.92 per square meter. On the other hand, other residential buildings registered the lowest average cost of PhP4,293.88 per square meter.

4. Industrial-type buildings had the highest cost among non-residential constructions

For this quarter, industrial-type buildings constructions reported the highest average cost of PhP18,206.39 per square meter. This was followed by Institutional-type building with an average cost of PhP13,181.95 per square meter, then by Commercial-type building at PhP12,207.07 per square meter, and Agricultural-type building with the lowest average cost of PhP4,089.22 per square meter. (Figure 5b and Table 1)

TECHNICAL NOTES

Introduction

This Special Release presents the preliminary data on construction statistics from approved building permits for the first quarter of 2022. Data are presented at the regional, provincial and/or Highly Urbanized City (HUC) levels with monthly and quarterly disaggregation.

Scope and Coverage

Construction statistics presented in this special release are based on the approved building permits on new construction and additions, alterations and repairs of existing residential and non-residential buildings, and other structures that are proposed to be constructed in the different cities/municipalities of the country.

Sources of Information

Construction statistics are generated from approved building permits as well as from the demolition and fencing permits collected every month by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) field personnel from the Offices of Local Building Officials (LBOs).

Limitations of data

1. Data on building constructions are based on approved applications for construction during the reference period and not on the construction work completed during the reference period.

2. The completeness of construction data relies on the approved applications filed with the LBOs. Hence, building constructions without approved building permits are not part of the tabulation of data.

Geographic Classification

For the second quarter of 2021, building constructions are classified and presented by geographic area using the Philippine Standard Geographic Classification (PSGC) as of December 2017.

Statistics Generated

Construction statistics generated from approved building permits provide quarterly data on building construction at the provincial level. The statistics generated are the following:

1. number

2. floor area

3. type of construction

4. value of construction

Aside from the preliminary tables posted in the PSA website, the annual, quarterly, and monthly statistical tables at the municipality level by type of construction are available at the Industry Statistics Division (ISD) of the Economic Sector Statistics Service (ESSS) of the PSA. They can be requested through email at nonmfg.staff@psa.gov.ph.

Dissemination

Preliminary results of construction statistics are made public in the form of Quarterly Special Releases. The Quarterly Special Releases are reports containing the preliminary results of construction statistics submitted within the cut-off dates for each month. Results are posted 65 days after the reference quarter in the PSA website (www.psa.gov.ph).

Revision

All documents received after the cut-off date, which is 40 days after the reference quarter, are included in the generation of the revised results. The revised data of the previous quarter are reported during the release of the preliminary report of the current quarter. Revisions are made for the previous quarters until the annual report is released seven months after the reference year.

Definition of Terms (Adopted from the Revised and Updated IRR of the National Building Code)

Building permit is a written authorization granted by the LBO to an applicant allowing him to proceed with the construction of a specific project after plans, specifications, and other pertinent documents have been found to be in conformity with the National Building Code (PD 1096).

Building refers to any independent, free-standing structure comprised of one or more rooms or other spaces, covered by a roof and enclosed with external walls or dividing walls, which extend from the foundation to the roof.

Construction refers to all on-site work done from site preparation, excavation, foundation, assembly of all the components and installation of utilities, machineries, and equipment of buildings/structures.

Residential building is a building for which its major parts or more than half of its gross floor area is built for dwelling purposes. This type of building can be of the single type, duplex, apartment and/or accessoria,and residential condominium.

Single house is a complete structure intended for a single family or household, i.e., bungalow, 2-storey house, nipa hut, etc.

Duplex house is a structure intended for two households, with complete living facilities for each; it is a single structure divided into two dwelling units by a wall extending from the floor to the ceiling.

Apartment is a structure, usually of two storeys, made up of independent living quarters, with independent entrances from internal walls and courts.

Accesoria is a one or two-floor structure divided into several dwelling units, each dwelling unit having its own separate entrance from the outside.

Residential condominium is a structure, usually of several storeys, consisting of multiple dwelling units.

Other residential construction consists of school or company staff houses, living quarters for drivers and maids, and guardhouses.

Non-residential building includes commercial, industrial, agricultural, and institutional buildings.

Commercial buildings refer to office buildings and all buildings which are intended for use primarily in wholesale, retail and service trades; i.e., stores, hotels, restaurants, banks, disco houses, etc.

Industrial buildings are buildings used to house the production, assembly, and warehousing activities of industrial establishments; i.e., factories, plants, mills, repair shops, machine shops, printing press, storage plant, electric generating plants.

Institutional buildings are buildings which primarily engaged in providing educational instructions and hospital/health care; ports, airports and other government buildings; i.e., school, museums, libraries, sanitaria, churches, and hospitals.

Agricultural buildings are buildings used to house livestock, plants, and agricultural products such as barn, poultry house, piggeries, stables, greenhouses, and grain mill.

Other non-building constructions include cemetery structures, street furniture, waiting sheds, communication towers, etc.

Addition refers to any new construction which increases the height or area of an existing building/structure.

Repair is a remedial work done on any damaged or deteriorated portion/s of a building/structure to restore its original condition.

Renovation is any physical change made on structures to increase their value and quality.

Alteration is a construction in a building/structure involving changes in the materials used, partitioning and location/size of openings, structural parts, existing utilities and equipment but does not increase the overall area thereof.

Conversion is a change in the use or occupancy of structure or any portion thereof, which has different requirements.

Demolitions refer to the systematic dismantling or destruction of a building/structure, in whole or in part.

Street furniture are street structures consisting of monuments, waiting sheds, benches, plant boxes, lampposts, electric poles, and telephone poles.

Floor area of building refers to the sum of the area of each floor of the building measured to the outer surface of the outer walls including the area of lobbies, cellars, elevator shafts and all communal spaces in multi dwellings. Areas of balconies are excluded.

Total value of construction refers to the sum of the cost of building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and others. The value is derived from the approved building permit and represents the estimated value of the building or structure when completed.

Approved by:

(SGD.) 

MELCHOR B. BAUTISTA

Chief Statistical Specialist