FDI falls amid political 'noise'

Net inflows of brick-and-mortar foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Philippines fell to $498 million in March, the lowest in three months, as heightened political instability and lingering United States (US) tariff-led uncertainty eroded investor confidence.

- By DERCO ROSAL

Net FDI inflows amounted to $498 million in March, declining by 27.8 percent from $689 million in the same month last year, according to the latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The data showed that FDI net inflows in March were the lowest since December last year, when they reached only $110 million.

As observed, the total value in March continued the year-to-date downward trend. The March figure dropped by 5.9 percent from February's $529 million, which had already declined by 27.6 percent from January's $731 million.

The BSP said in a statement on Tuesday, June 10, that the decline seen at the end of the first quarter was mainly due to the "lower net inflows across all major FDI components."