MANILA, Philippines — Philippine factories posted faster output growth in September, driven by production of petroleum products and metals, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Preliminary results of the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries released by the PSA yesterday showed that the Volume of Production Index (VoPI) for manufacturing posted faster year-on-year growth of nine percent in September from the previous month’s 6.6 percent.
This was also a turnaround from the 1.1 percent dip in VoPI in September 2025.
The PSA attributed the faster VoPI growth to three industry divisions: coke and refined petroleum products, metals and transport equipment.
In particular, coke and refined petroleum products posted a faster annual increase of 31 percent in September from the previous month’s 20.4 percent.
Basic metals production also registered a faster year-on-year increment of 30.9 percent in September from the previous month’s 18.1 percent.
Transport equipment exhibited a faster annual increase of 12.7 percent in September from 6.2 percent in the previous month.
Of the remaining 19 industry divisions, 10 posted annual increases in September 2026. These are: computer, electronic and optical products; rubber and plastic products; wearing apparel; fabricated metal products; paper and paper products; electrical equipment; leather and related products, including footwear; textiles; wood, bamboo, cane, rattan articles and related products and printing and reproduction of recorded media.
Meanwhile, those with negative growth rates were tobacco products; other manufacturing and repair and installation of machinery and equipment; furniture; basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations; other non-metallic mineral products; beverages; machinery and equipment; chemicals and chemical products and food products.
Based on responding establishments, the average capacity utilization rate manufacturing in September was at 78.4 percent, slightly lower than the previous month’s 78.7 percent.
“All industry divisions reported capacity utilization rates of more than 65 percent during the month,” the PSA said.
The top three industry divisions in terms of reported capacity utilization rate were tobacco products (99.5 percent); coke and refined petroleum products (85.6 percent) and other manufacturing and repair and installation of machinery and equipment (83.3 percent).
Around 36 percent of firms covered by the survey operated at full capacity or 90 to 100 percent.
Meanwhile, almost 38.6 percent operated at 70 to 89 percent capacity and 25.5 percent were at below 70 percent capacity.