The total number of constructions from approved building permits for the year 2023 reached 8,677. This indicates an annual increase of 4.2 percent from 8,329 total number of constructions in the previous year. 

By type of construction, residential buildings reported a decrement of 5,378 constructions or 62.0 percent of the total number of constructions in 2023. It registered an annual drop of -8.3 percent from the previous year’s level of 5,862 constructions. Majority of the total residential constructions were single-type houses with 4,848(90.1%) (Figure 1)

Meanwhile, non-residential type of constructions was the second highest in terms of number of constructions of 2,136 or 24.6 percent of the total number of constructions in 2023. This type of construction increased during the year at an annual rate of 45.8 percent. Most of the non-residential constructions were commercial buildings with 1,526(71.4%) (Figure 1).

Addition, which refers to any new construction that increases the height or area of an existing building, and alteration and repair of existing structures contributed 0.1 percent and 13.3 percent, respectively, to the total number of constructions in 2023. Compared with their respective annual rates in 2022 addition to existing structures recorded an annual increment of 100.0 percent and 15.8 percent, respectively. (Table A)

Value of Constructions

In 2023, the total value of constructions amounted to PhP 22,275,014.62 million, indicating an increase of 100.0 percent from PhP 17,336,613.00 million value of constructions posted in 2022. (Table A)

Non-residential building constructions valued at PhP 11,487,545.00 million accounted for 105.9 percent of the total value of constructions in 2023. This represents an increment of 51.6 percent from 5.58 million construction value recorded in 2022. Among non-residential constructions, commercial-type buildings had the highest value of constructions at 5,072,422.00 million (44.2%).

Meanwhile, the construction value of residential buildings amounted to PhP 9,836,132.72 million or -8.9 percent of the total construction value registered in 2023. This reflects a decline of 44.2 percent from the PhP 10.8 million value of constructions reported in the previous year. Among residential constructions, single-type houses posted the highest value of constructions at 8.8 million (90.3%).

The construction value of addition to, and alteration and repair to existing structures were recorded at PhP15,340.12 thousand (0.10%) and PhP 935,996.76 thousand (4.2%), respectively. Addition to, type of construction registered increases in their value of constructions compared with the previous year, posting annual rates of 373.3 percent.

Top three provinces

The combined shares of the top three provinces in terms of value of constructions amounted to 83,201,768 (78.83%). These provinces were:

a. Cavite, PhP 33,778,837.07 (32.01%) 
b. Laguna, PhP 27,147,916.61 (25.72%) 
c. Batangas, PhP 22,275,014.62 (21.11%)

Floor Area

The reported total floor area of constructions in 2023 was recorded at 2,535,594.00 million square meters. This translates to an annual increase of 56.8 percent compared with the 1.61 million square meters floor area in 2022. (Table A, Figure 3)

Non-residential constructions accounted for 1.61million square meters or 63.6 percent of the total floor area of constructions in 2023 which reflects an annual increment of 175.8 percent from the 584,965 thousand square meters in 2022.

On the other hand, residential buildings recorded 920,663 thousand square meters or -10.7 percent of the total floor area of constructions in 2023. This indicates an annual drop of 36.3 percent compared with the previous year’s floor area of 1.0 million square meters.

Average cost per Square Meter

The total average cost per square meter of construction in 2023, excluding those for alteration and repair, and other non-residential, amounted to PhP 8406.91. This translates to an annual decline of -17.0 percent from the PhP 10,123.01 average cost per square meter reported in 2022. (Table A).

Among types of constructions, residential building registered the highest average cost per square meter of PhP 10,683.75 in 2023. This was followed by addition to existing structures with PhP 10,179.24 per square meter and non-residential constructions with PhP 7,106.04 per square meter.

Among residential constructions, duplex/quadruplex posted the highest average cost of PhP10,991.07 per square meter in 2023. Meanwhile, the lowest average cost of PhP10,676.78 per square meter was recorded in single –house type building.

Across non-residential constructions, institutional type building posted the highest average cost of PhP 10,025.83 per square meter during the year. On the other hand, agricultural-type constructions continued to register the lowest average cost of PhP5,369.88 per square meter.