MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines has the lowest Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) among the countries in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), according to 2014 United Nations Human Development Report released Wednesday.
Only 1.12 percent of the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) came from FDI compared to 2.26 percent in Indonesia, 2.35 percent in Thailand, 3.66 percent in Laos, 4.17 percent in Malaysia, 6 percent in Vietnam, 7.03 in Cambodia, 7.39 percent in Brunei, and 20.62 percent in Singapore. Myanmar has no data.
Socio-economic Planning Secretary and Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Arsenio Balisacan said in an interview with reporters that it is not surprising for the Philippines to have low FDI compared to neighbor Asean countries.