Philippines: Cement sales grew by nearly a fifth, or 18.6%, in the third quarter of 2015 on the back of increased consumer spending, according to the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP).
CeMAP president Ernesto Ordoñez said that the country's total cement sales reached 6.4Mt in the third quarter of 2015, from 5.4Mt in the same period of 2014. The growth was attributed to the expansion of several infrastructure projects in both the public and private sectors, as well as the increased budget of the government for infrastructure projects. "The weather was also better this year compared last year, so that was also a factor," said Ordoñez, who also identified the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit as a sales driver. He is optimistic that cement sales will continue their upward trajectory for the rest of 2015.
