Comelec needs P3.8B more for con-con

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will need an additional P3.827 billion to hold an election for constitutional convention (con-con) delegates, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said on Tuesday.

The election of delegates is planned to be held simultaneously with the barangay and youth council polls on October 30.

Garcia told the House Committee on Appropriations the additional budget will fund the bigger honoraria being proposed for teachers who will be doing poll duty. He also said that 67 million ballots have to be printed for the election of con-con delegates.

to have as delegates at least three retired members of the judiciary, two economists, two from the labor sector, two from the farmers and fisherfolk, two from indigenous cultural communities, and two from the senior citizens and persons with disabilities, among others.

During the constitutional amendments committee's meeting on Monday, Cagayan de Oro Second District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, the committee chairman, said "what is envisioned here is that there will be nominations from different sectors and then the nominations will be submitted to the speaker and submitted also to the Senate president, so that then each

Not unique Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor Ejercito said investments allowed under MIF are the same as those allowed for government financial institutions. Such investments are in cash, foreign currencies, metals and other favorable commodities, fixed income instruments issued by a sovereign, quasi-sovereign and super-national and in joint venture or co-investments.

“What makes it (MIF) unique, because these are also being done by the GFIs?” Ejercito said.

Undersecretary Zeno Ronald Abenoja, chief economic counselor of the Department of Finance, said the purpose of the MIF is to focus government investments on strategic destinations, but with commercial rate or even higher than market returns.

Villar sought the opinion of the National Development Co. on how the creation of the MIF would affect their operations. Some senators earlier said the NDC could be the one handling the MIF instead of the MIC.

“I just want to get a comment from the NDC and clarify what is your stand on the Maharlika Fund and the creation of Maharlika Investment Corporation,” Villar asked.

NDC general manager Antonilo Mauricio said the NDC does not have a position on the creation of the MIF since the agency has not been involved from the start in the conceptualization of the proposed sovereign wealth fund.

Mauricio, however, suggested to senators “to give emphasis on NDC as an investment arm.”

Asked by Sen. Nancy Binay whether the MIC would be a competitor to the NDC, Mauricio replied the corporation is focused on smaller deals and investment gaps that national government agencies might have overlooked.

Rogelio Quevedo, of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, explained that while the NDC would be focusing its investments on local development projects, the MIC would invest in treasury bonds, equities and government securities.

Cap on foreign funds

National Treasurer De Leon also said there should be a limit to the resources foreign entities may pour into MIF to ensure their participation in decision-making is restricted.

She said both the Senate and

House versions of the MIF bill don’t provide for such restriction.

“We are thinking of putting a cap in terms of the limit on how much offshore investments can participate in the corporation,” De Leon said.

“There should be a cap on how much you can invest. We can put it in the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) or put it in the law already, if needed,” she said.

The rationale behind such a proposal, according to De Leon, is to keep foreign investors from becoming part of the board of directors of the MIC. This means they will have no seat or voting rights in the MIC.

In the proposed measure’s current form, the corporation is represented by the founding members including the secretary of the Department of Finance, heads of the Landbank and DBP, as well as an advisory board.

There will also be independent directors whose seats are reserved for nominees of the Landbank and DBP, given the size of their capital contribution.

“Since the sizable amount will be from Landbank and DBP, it would be pro rata to their contribution,” De Leon said.

Even as the private sector will be encouraged to invest in the fund, she stressed the MIC would have no private sector representatives –at least in the board of directors.

But Binay and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian questioned such restriction, saying it would make the MIF less appealing.

“Foreign investors are very particular on representation, primarily to protect their investment,” Gatchalian said.

De Leon explained that putting a cap on foreign investments would ensure the government remains the majority holder of the institution.

“For you to be on the board, then you would have to have more than 25 percent shares of the corporation,” she said. “But then the limits will prevent them from getting that much. Majority will still be the government.”

De Leon clarified that the only time that a foreign entity can sit in the board is when the MIC enters into a deal with another company and forms a joint venture.

Binay suggested that the law should make it clear that no foreign entity can be part of the board regardless of the size of its investments. n

Last week, the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments approved a Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) calling for a con-con to amend or revise the 1987 Constitution.

If the House adopts the RBH, it must also be approved by the Senate.

Under a bill approved by the House constitutional amendments committee during a meeting on Monday, one delegate per legislative district shall be elected to the con-con.

Sectoral representatives, who will make up 20 percent of the convention delegates, would be jointly appointed by the Senate president and the House speaker.

A con-con delegate must be a natural-born Filipino citizen, at least 25 years old on election day, a college degree holder, a registered voter in the concerned district, and a resident there for at least a year immediately preceding elction day.

A sectoral delegate must be a natural-born Filipino citizen and at least 25 years old on the day of his appointment.

The bill requires the con-con

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY IFB NO. EP220R-23 SAND SILO AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking Bids for the replacement of sand silo air filters. Bid documents may be downloaded at SCRRA’s website at http://www.metrolinktrains. com/contracts. Bids are due on 03/30/23.

The contract to be awarded will be funded in part by grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration.

For further information contact: Brian Jacob, Senior Contract and Compliance Administrator, at JacobB@scrra. net.

3/1/23 one of them will consider the nominations and then they will have to meet and be able to have" a joint approval "on whom both of them will appoint."

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The delegates will serve from Nov. 21, 2023, to June 30, 2024. The convention will be held in the House session hall. It must submit its report to Congress and the Comelec within 30 days from completion of the consolidated amendments, or July 30, 2024. The amendments to the Constitution proposed by the convention must be ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite to be held within 90 days after the submission of the convention report. (ManilaTimes.net)

ABISO NG SAN DIEGO COUNTY CONSORTIUM TUNGKOL SA PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG AT ABISO TUNGKOL SA AVAILABILITY

CONSORTIUM NG COUNTY NG SAN DIEGO TAUNANG PLANO PARA SA 2023-24

PONDO PARA SA PROGRAMANG COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG), HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS (HOME), EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT (ESG), AT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS (HOPWA) Ibinibigay ang Abisong ito para sabihin na magsasagawa ang Board of Supervisors ng pampublikong pagdinig sa Abril 4, 2023, nang 9:00 a.m. sa Room 310 sa County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA, para isaalangalang ang Taunang Plano para sa Taon ng Pananalapi na 202324. Isasaalang-alang ng Board ang iminungkahing paggamit ng tinatantyang: $4,210,628 sa pondo ng Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); $3,575,146 sa pondo ng HOME Investment Partnership (HOME); $369,509 sa pondo ng Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG); at $5,619,991 sa pondo ng Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) na matatanggap ng County mula sa Kagawaran ng Pabahay at Pagpapaunlad ng Lungsod ng Estados Unidos (Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD). Isasaalang-alang din ng Board ang iminungkahing paggamit ng $4,045,000 sa mga kita ng CDBG, HOME, at HOPWA para sa Taon ng Pananalapi na 2022-23 at ang muling paglalaan ng tinatantyang $12,400,000 sa mga entitlement ng HOME, ESG, CDBG at HOPWA sa mga nakaraang taon. Ang mga bilang na ito ay batay sa mga antas ng pagpopondo sa nakaraang taon. Inilalarawan ng Taunang Plano ang mga iminungkahing aktibidad na popondohan mula sa Taon ng Pananalapi na 202324 at mga entitlement noong nakaraang taon, na nakakatugon sa mga layuning itinatag sa Pinag-isang Plano para sa 2020-24. Ang programang CDBG ay nagbibigay ng pondo sa unincorporated area ng County at mga lungsod ng Coronado, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, at Solana Beach. Ang mga pondo ng CDBG ay dapat: (1) mapakinabangan ng mga taong may mas mababang kita; (2) pigilan/alisin ang mga abandonadong lugar; o (3) tugunan ang mga pangangailangan sa pagpapaunlad ng komunidad na nangangailangan ng agarang pansin. Pinopondohan ng programang HOME ang mga aktibidad ng abot-kayang pabahay sa loob ng HOME Consortium ng County. Kasama sa HOME Consortium ang mga area ng CDBG, at mga lungsod ng Carlsbad, Encinitas, La Mesa, San Marcos, Santee, at Vista. Pinopondohan ng programang ESG ang tulong sa walang tirahan sa mga area ng CDBG, at pinopondohan ng programang HOPWA ang pabahay/mga serbisyo para sa mga taong may HIV/ AIDS at ang kanilang mga pamilya sa buong San Diego County. Masusuri at makokomentuhan ng publiko ang mga kopya ng mga draft na Plano, sa 30 araw na panahon ng pagbibigay ng komento mula Marso 3, 2023 hanggang Abril 4, 2023, sa website ng County sa www.sdhcd.com. Ang mga taong nangangailangan ng tulong para lumahok sa mga pulong (halimbawa: hindi nagsasalita ng Ingles, may kapansanan sa pandinig, atbp.) ay dapat abisuhan ang HCDS limang araw bago ang pulong. Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, mangyaring tumawag sa (858) 6948724. Para sa tulong sa may kapansanan sa pandinig, mangyaring tumawag sa (866) 945-2207.

3/1/23

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ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)