The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported a decline in approved building permits in the first month of the year, primarily driven by a sharp decrease in homebuilding activities.
In January 2024, the total number of constructions covered by approved building permits registered a 17 percent drop to 11,433 from 13,824 permits issued in the same month of the previous year.
Additionally, there was a three percent decrease in January from the 11,060 permits issued in December.
The size in square meters and the value of projects approved in January also showed a decline.
The PSA approved building permit report serves as key indicators of real estate demand and future construction trends.
Construction plays a significant role in the industry sector, contributing substantially to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).
PSA data indicated that the value of projects approved in January decreased by seven percent to P29.83 billion from P32.25 billion the previous year, and it was lower than the P34.81 billion recorded in the preceding month.
Regarding project size, the total area covered by approved permits amounted to 2.34 million square meters, marking a 27 percent decrease from 3.22 million square meters in January 2023 and 3.2 million square meters in December.
The number of approved permits for residential projects saw a 22 percent decline year-on-year to 7,390, while permits for non-residential projects posted a modest 0.6 percent decrease to 2,876.
Moreover, permits for other building projects decreased by 21 percent to 366 compared to the previous year.