PH building approvals see decline in August

Amid typhoons and adverse weather conditions, private construction activity in the country declined in August, with fewer projects approved even as total floor area and project value increased, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

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Preliminary data from the PSA, released on Oct. 20, showed a 2.0 percent year-on-year decline in approved building permits, with about 14,340 projects in August 2025, from 14,627 in the same month last year. The number of constructions in July was also revised, reflecting a 7.5 percent year-on-year decline.

In terms of value, PSA data showed that private construction reached P58.66 billion in August, a 14.2 percent year-on-year increase from P51.38 billion in the same month last year and up from P45 billion in July.

As for floor area, the 4.1 million square meters (sqm) covered by building permits approved in August 2025 increased by 13.2 percent from 3.6 million sqm in the same month last year, and from 3.5 million sqm recorded in July.

The data also showed that residential buildings accounted for the largest share of constructions, with 9,820 projects—over two-thirds of the total for the month. This segment recorded an annual increase of 5.3 percent.