Manila: Foreign direct investments (FDI) net inflows amounted to USD813 million in August this year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said. Data released on Monday showed that the FDI net inflows during the month were lower by 14.5 percent than the USD951 million net inflows recorded in August 2023. According to Philippines News Agency, the decline in FDI net inflows in August was mainly attributed to a 21.6 percent contraction in nonresidents' net investments in debt instruments, which fell to USD529 million from USD675 million. Additionally, nonresidents' reinvestment of earnings also saw a decrease of 9.4 percent, dropping to USD217 million from USD240 million. Meanwhile, the BSP highlighted that nonresidents' net investments in equity capital, excluding reinvestment of earnings, saw a significant increase of 83.6 percent, rising to USD66 million from USD36 million in August 2023. The top sources of FDIs during the month were Japan and the United States, with investments mainly directed towards the manufacturing, real estate, and electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply industries. For the period from January to August this year, FDI net inflows experienced a growth of 3.9 percent, reaching USD6.1 billion compared to the USD5.8 billion net inflows posted during the same period last year. The leading sources of these investments included the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States, with funds primarily channeled into manufacturing, real estate, and wholesale and retail trade sectors.