Construction permits down 12% in May

MANILA, Philippines — Construction projects in the country based on approved building permits declined both in number and value in May from a year ago, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Data from PSA showed that the number of constructions from approved building permits reached 15,436 in May, 11.6 percent lower than the 17,466 projects in the same month in 2025.

The total value dipped by 1.2 percent to P47.05 billion in May from P47.64 billion in the same month last year.

Residential buildings accounted for 66 percent of the approved building permits in May.

In particular, there were 10,154 residential building projects in May, 16 percent lower than the previous year’s 12,023 projects.

These projects amounted to P24.73 billion, up by 1.3 percent from P24.40 billion a year ago.

Non-residential projects accounted for 20 percent or 3,052 of the approved building permits in May, down by six percent year-on-year.

These projects were valued at P17.94 billion, five percent lower than the P18.91 billion in the same month last year.

Additions or projects involving increases in building height or area, slid by five percent to 543 in May from 570 a year ago.

These addition projects were worth P507.45 million, 11 percent lower year-on-year.

Alterations and repairs also went down by 12 percent year-on-year to 1,073 projects in May.

The value of these projects went up by five percent to P2.98 billion from the previous year’s P2.85 billion.

Meanwhile, other construction projects rose by 43 percent to 614 in May from 430 a year ago.

The value of these projects slid by three percent to P896.09 million in May from P919.18 million a year ago.