Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines' (CeMAP) president, Ernesto Ordonez, said that total cement sales for the first half of 2014 reached 10.72Mt, up from 10.14Mt for the first six months of 2013. For the second quarter of 2014 alone, cement sales climbed by 3.2% to 5.52Mt from 5.35Mt in the comparable period of 2013. Compared to the first quarter's 5.19Mt, cement sales in the second quarter of 2014 grew by 6.19%. The increase in sales was seen amid higher demand from both the public and private sectors.
Ordonez said that there was a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget increase, while the private sector continued to grow because of increased confidence in the government. The latest data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed that government spending for infrastructure and capital outlay posted a 24.5% increase to US$2.16bn as of April 2014, compared to US$1.74bn in 2013. The notable infrastructure disbursements were channelled mostly to on-going reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in communities devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda. The DBM said that the increase in disbursements is also due to the Aquino administration's stronger focus on strengthening the economy through infrastructure and capital outlay investments.
