The Philippines posted $447 million in net foreign direct investment inflows in June, according to pna.gov.ph. The figure covers net inflows for the month, meaning investment entering the country minus withdrawals.
The June result sits within a weaker first half overall. BusinessMirror reports that FDI net inflows fell 17.8 percent to $3.38 billion in the first six months of the year. SunStar Publishing put the same half-year total at US$3.4 billion.
Manila Bulletin attributed the first-half decline to fallout from conflict in the Middle East affecting the local economy. BusinessWorld Online also reported that Philippine foreign direct investment rose in June.
The reports draw on the same underlying data but present it at different levels of detail, with the June monthly figure showing an increase while the cumulative half-year number shows a contraction. Net inflows measure investment that stays in the country after outflows are subtracted, so a single strong month does not necessarily offset a weaker stretch across the period.
What to watch next: whether the June pickup carries into the second half, and how the Middle East situation continues to affect investment flows into the Philippines.
