Net foreign direct investments (FDI) into the Philippines rose year-on-year in May, with inflows from the United States and into manufacturing taking the lead.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that net inflow of FDIs in May 2025 grew by 21.3 percent, increasing from $483 million in May 2024 to $586 million.

The increase resulted from the significant expansion in nonresidents’ net investments in debt instruments, which rose by 88.3 percent year-on-year, from $227 million to $427 million.

Meanwhile, reinvestment of earnings remained relatively stable at $97 million.

However, these gains were partly offset by the 61.4 percent decline in nonresidents’ net investments in equity capital (excluding reinvestment of earnings), which fell from $161 million to $62 million.

Equity capital placements in May 2025 came mostly from the United States, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Industries that received most of these investments were manufacturing, real estate, and electricity, gas, steam, and airconditioning supply industries.

For January-May 2025, FDI net inflows declined by 26.9 percent from the $4.0 billion posted in January–May 2024 to $3.0 billion in January-May 2025. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas