Sales of local cement manufacturers grew by 8.6 per cent to 5.2Mt in the first three months of the year, on the back of continued growth in the construction and real estate industries.

Cemap president Ernesto Ordoñez told the Philippine Inquirer that the increase in sales could be attributed to the hike in infrastructure spending by the government, as well as the continued spending and the confidence shown by the private sector in the local economy.

Going forward, Ordoñez added that Cemap is bullish about its prospects this year, expressing confidence that their members’ cement sales will continue to grow.

Last year, cement sales grew six per cent to 19.4Mt from the 18.4Mt sold a year ago. In the fourth of 2013 alone, cement sales grew two per cent to 4.5Mt from the 4.4Mt sold in the previous year.