MANUFACTURING output, both in value and volume, accelerated in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday.
The value of production index (VaPI) rose to 10.8 percent from 9.9 percent and 1.9 percent a month earlier and year earlier, respectively.
The volume of production index (VoPI) also recorded faster growth of 11.8 percent from 6.7 percent and 1.3 percent a month and year ago.
The PSA attributed the higher VaPI to a faster annual increase in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products of 30.1 percent from 15.8 percent.
This contributed 57.3 percent to the VaPI growth rate for the month, it added.
Other major contributors to the higher growth were the manufacture of transport equipment (11.5 percent from 4.9 percent) and the manufacture of basic metals (27.2 percent from 23.9 percent).
The manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products was also behind the higher VoPI, posting a faster annual increase of 32.1 percent in August from 9.2 percent in July.
The manufacture of transport equipment (11.4 percent from 2.1 percent) and the manufacture of basic metals (29.0 percent from 17.4 percent) rounded out the top three industry divisions.
The average capacity utilization rate for manufacturing, meanwhile, edged down to 78.7 percent in August from 78.8 percent a month earlier. It was, however, higher than August 2025’s 77.6 percent.
All industry divisions reported operating at over 65.0 percent of capacity, led by tobacco products (85 percent), manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products (83.9 percent), and other manufacturing, repair and installation of machinery and equipment (83.3 percent).
The 254 firms that operated at full capacity, defined as 90 to 100 percent, accounted for almost one-third (35.7 percent) of the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries respondents.
A total of 287 (40.4 percent), meanwhile, reported operating at 70-80 percent of capacity and 170 (23.9 percent) said they operated below 70 percent.
