Manila, May 2 -- The country's manufacturing sector recorded solid improvements in April as new orders and output increased, S&P Global said.

In a report on Friday, S&P Global said the Philippine manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI), an indicator of manufacturing performance, posted 53 in April, signaling a renewed improvement in the health of the country's manufacturing sector.

This was up from March's 49.4 reading, which indicated a modest deterioration in operating conditions.

A PMI lower than 50 means a deterioration of manufacturing activities while above the neutral score means improvement.

"The Filipino manufacturing commenced the second quarter of the year on a solid note, experiencing renewed growth in output and new...