Foreign direct investments (FDI) in the Philippines reached double digits for the first time in 2017 at $10.3 billion but slowed down to $9.8 billion in 2018. For the first semester of 2019, FDI amounted to only $3.6 billion which is 38.8% lower than the $5.8 billion in the same period in 2018. It must be noted, however, that the weakening of the global economic environment may have dampened investor outlook/sentiment. In its July 2019 World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that “investors have become increasingly concerned about the impact of the intensification of trade tensions and the weakening economic outlook