Cement sales up

MANILA, Philippines - Cement sales went up six percent in the first semester from a year ago due to increased construction activities, the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) said.

CeMAP data showed total cement sales reached 10.136 million metric tons (MT) in the January to June period, higher than the 9.546 million MT sold in the same period last year.

For the second quarter alone, cement sales rose bnine percent to 5.349 million MT compared to the previous year’s 4.916 million MT.

In a text message, CeMAP president Ernesto Ordonez said among the reasons for the higher sales are “government’s increased budget for infrastructure (and) continued business confidence of private sector in government resulting in increased commercial, residential and other private sector construction.”

Earlier, he said higher cement sales are expected this year compared to a year ago as construction works continue to pick up.

Lafarge Cement Services (Philippines), Inc. president Don Lee also said earlier that even as construction activity is seen to rise given the country’s strong economic growth, cement manufacturers are ready to provide supply.

Cement manufacturers, he said, are currently expanding their output.