Factory output increased at a much faster pace in November due to strong manufacturing of machinery and equipment, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday, Dec. 6.

In its Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI), the PSA said the country's volume of production index (VoPI) grew 5.9 percent in November, up from 5.3 percent in the previous month.

The index growth, however, weakened compared with 28.6 percent posted in the same month last year.

The expansion in VoPI was brought about by the positive growth rates of 15 out of 22 industry divisions.

Of these, manufacture of machinery and equipment except electrical was the major contributing factor with 68.5 percent annual growth rate.

On the contrary, seven industry divisions posted annual decreases with manufacture of electrical equipment exhibiting the fastest annual drop of -54.5 percent.

According to the PSA, only one-fifth percent of the manufacturing firms surveyed operated at full capacity in September.

About 18.7 percent of the establishments operated at 90 percent to 100 percent capacity and 36.7 percent of the respondents operated below 70 percent.

Meanwhile, the value of production index (VaPI) during the month increased at a much slower rate as it posted a 12.7 percent jump last November from 13 percent in the previous month.

Seventeen major sectors reported positive growth rates in November, led by manufacture of machinery and equipment except electrical at an annual growth rate of 67.9 percent

On the other hand, remaining five industry divisions posted decrements in their production with manufacture of electrical equipment registering the fastest annual decline of -53.6 percent.

Volume of net sales year-on-year rose to 12.5 percent, while the rise in value improved to 19.7 percent.