Approved building permits fell 8.5% in July, according to the Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA).
Preliminary data show that the July 16,821 license covers 15,395 licenses.
This is a 12.3% change in July 2024, while a 14.9% increase in revised June.
In the month, the construction project covered 3.47 million square meters (square meter) of floor area, down 2.1% from 3.54 million square meters.
The approved construction projects are worth 44.54 billion pesos, 7.5% lower than the same period last year.
Permits for residential projects, which account for 66% of the total, fell 8.5% to 10,157 in July.
The projects are worth 19.77 billion pesos compared with 1.94 billion pesos a year ago.
Single homes accounted for 79.1% of the residential category and obtained approved permits, down 10.9% to 8,034.
Applications for apartment buildings increased by 2.5% to 1,957, while applications for double- or four-chain limb houses contracted by 3.1% at 155.
On the other hand, non-residential projects received 3,205 approvals in July, down 8.8% from the same period last year.
The value of non-residential permits was 19.84 billion pesos, down 16.6% from the 23.78 billion pesos a year ago.
Approved commercial building permits were approved at 2,150, down 11.3%.
Added permits (adding the height or area of existing buildings) fell 16% to 429 in July, while the total number of permits for change and repair was 1,133, down 15%.
Industrial licenses rose 27.4% to 302, while institutional projects fell 12.1% to 582 approvals.
A total of 89 approvals for agricultural projects, a decrease of 19.1%, while other non-residential projects reached 82 building permit approvals, a decrease of 2.4%.
Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon accounted for 21.8% of the total permits and 21.8% of the total number of construction projects in the month.
Next is Central Luzon (17.5% share of 2,697 licenses) and Central Mishaya (7.9% share of 1,210 licenses).
According to value, Calabarzon accounts for 8.96 billion pesos of construction projects, followed by the National Capital Region (Philippines 7.82 billion) and Central Luzon Island (P66.61 billion).
The PSA said the building statistics are copies of the original application form for approved building permits and copies of demolition and fence permits collected monthly from local building officials’ offices nationwide, according to the PSA. – Heather Caitlyn Menagor
