‘SCunlikely to stop Maharlika Fund’

By Maricel V. Cruz, Vince Lopez and Macon Ramos-Araneta

OPPOSITION leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Friday said that a Supreme Court (SC) petition to invalidate the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) – which seeks to use P500 billion in state assets for investment – will only be an exercise in futility.

“In unbroken jurisprudence, the Supreme Court has held that the courts do not involve themselves with or delve into the policy or wisdom of a statute, and it is settled that courts are not concerned with the wisdom, justice, policy, or expediency

Marcos...

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"useful, easy and convenient" for ordinary Filipinos.

He said maximizing the use of new technologies would also get rid of fixers who ask for money, in exchange for facilitating transactions with government agencies.

"There is another part of this that is extremely important, that we sometimes do not talk about and that is the lessening of corruption,” the President said. “It simplifies the process especially for the citizens and there is no discretion being exercised by anyone… We should not allow them to continue to suffer from these antiquated, corrupt, inefficient systems."

Marcos said he is looking forward to the success of eGov Super App, emphasizing that the launching of the online platform is a "very good step" in attaining his administration's full digital and economic transformation goals.

The eGov PH mobile application allows users to transact with government agencies, pay bills, and access essential information about government programs and services online.

'Proper' national IDs

Marcos vowed to make the eGov Super App "more extensive" and "more sophisticated" to increase the country's global competitiveness.

He said the government is also looking for those who could help in the faster release of actual Philippine IDs (PhilIDs), the printing of which he said was “a little unsatisfactory.”

Marcos also acknowledged that the Ph-

Gov’t...

From A1 with the President, described the use of quick response (QR) codes and other digital payment apps as something like a “home run” for the government, saying that they are excited to start serving the public markets using QR codes.

The meeting was attended by Union Digital President and CEO Henry Rhoel Aguda, Bank of the Philippines Islands

‘Suspects...

From A1 that we received was that he was offering P8 million each so that they become calm and trust his principal, who is a congressman,” Remulla said.

Orceo denied the allegation as "pure hearsay."

“As lawyers, which Sec. Remulla is supposedly aware of, such a statement is devoid of evidentiary weight or probative value,” Orceo said in a statement.

“We only represent Miranda, and all the other accused are represented by different counsels. The recantations of all the other accused should be attributed to their respective counsels, not to us,” he added.

There are 11 detained suspects at the NBI. Aside from Miranda, they are Rogelio C. Antipolo Jr., Winrich B. Isturis, Joven C. Javier, Romel A. Pattaguan, Eulogio L. Gonyon Jr., John Louie L. Gonyon, Jhudiel R. Rivero, Joric G. Labrador, Benjie Rodriguez, and Dahniel P. Lora. Danny Villanueva, lawyer of five de-

Marcos, NEDA...

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17, 2023 up to the approval on June 2, 2023

– in accordance with the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) guidelines, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

The 59.4-kilometer, 4-lane extension highway will connect the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila. This is expected to stimulate economic activity, alleviate road congestion, provide better and safer road access, and promote the development of new growth centers in nearby regions.

The TPLEX Extension Project will be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) under the Department of Public Works and Highways. The estimated cost of the project is P23.4 billion.

The NEDA Board, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., also confirmed the “Investment Coordination Committee or ICC Guidelines for LGU PPP Projects,” which outlines the guidelines and of a statute,” Lagman said. He said he does not see any constitutional infirmity in the MIF tomerit the SC’s exercise of judicial review. Lagman said the remedy for the "improvident" MIF law was its amendment ilIDs would become a "central focal point" for the dissemination of information and services as it would serve as a "proper ID in a sense that it contains data that is critical or important or that is necessary for the conduct of business in government."

"So, that's what we are working on. I think we are making new progress. We are finding those groups who are able to print them out," Marcos said.

"This is what we are aiming for. But this is an extremely important step in heading down the road of digitalizing our bureaucracy, our government functions. And this will extend not only to the national government. This will extend to even the local government," he added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday said there were about 37.3 million printed PhilIDs turned over to Philippine Postal Corp.

The PSA is now coordinating with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to accelerate the printing of IDs.

'High-impact' innovations

Marcos also stressed the need to pursue "high-impact" innovations to enable the Philippines to compete on an "even basis" with the United States and Europe.

He reiterated that the country has to adopt the digital transformation.

"Government as well must be able to identify and utilize high-impact innovations to improve its own governance and transform itself into an agile bureaucracy that is responsive to the people's needs," he said.

"This is not an option that we might want to examine. This is something that we need to do. We have no option of not doing this. This is something that is re-

COO Ramon Jocson and PLDT Inc. President and CEO Alfredo Panlilio.

The e-commerce platforms and the BSP have teams going around the country conducting information and education campaigns on Paleng-QR Ph Plus, which was launched in 2022 in different cities and local government units (LGUs).

“We have to do it. It’s a grassroots level approach. There are also videos on YouTube and we also have Tiktok to get people to educate themselves. And if you use the app regularly, you will see it being offered to you tained suspects, said the accusation was "highly impossible to happen."

"All of the accused are currently in the detention center of the NBI and they have very limited space there," Villanueva said.

Ten of the detained suspects have been reported to have recanted their original testimonies, except for Miranda.

“It is not known if the offer was accepted but that’s the report we received,” Remulla said.

The DOJ chief said, however, that only one recantation is on record and has been filed in court.

Remulla admitted there was nothing he could do to stop Orceo from seeing Miranda at the NBI detention facility.

“They are following the law. The right to counsel is there. That’s the absolute right provided by the Constitution. So, we have to obey the Constitution. They cannot be isolated and without means of communication. We cannot do that. We should not do that because that is against the International Humanitarian Law,” he said. See full story online at manilastandard.net) procedures for processing PPP proposals of local government units or LGUs that require ICC action under the Philippine BOT law. or repeal by the legislature, which is difficult given the composition of Congress.

The guidelines outline the role of the Regional Development Councils and other local development councils, particularly in ensuring that LGU projects are in line with national development plans.

Recognizing the vital role of LGUs in driving economic growth, the guidelines provide a streamlined process for local governments to pursue PPP projects that require action by the ICC.

The NEDA Board also noted its earlier confirmation of the ICC approval of the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project Scale-Up or PRDP Scale-Up.

The PRDP Scale-Up, estimated to cost P45.01 billion, aims to build on the successes of the original PRDP. Its goal is to further enhance agricultural productivity, increase income opportunities, and improve the living conditions of rural communities throughout the country.

He insisted that the P500 billion seed funding for the MIF using state assets would be better spent as budgetary support to finance the national budget's basic socio-economic services and infrastructure development rather than invest the same for contingent and lengthy ventures. For his part, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III urged President Marcos to veto the measure, adding that the Supreme Court could be the next battleground for the Maharlika Investment Fund.

“I am calling on the President to quired," Marcos added.

"We did a survey of how people used the internet in the Philippines and the result was quite enlightening. They say, 95 percent of their daily activities, the shopping, the paying, the bank, even the payments to the government, 95 percent are done online," he said. "What is the 5 percent? Government. We cannot do it online, we have to go to the office, we have to collect the birth certificate, the documentation, the clearance and then we go to the government and they say 'you're missing one document.' So you have to go back. That just won't work."

Integrated financial management

As part of efforts to make the bureaucracy more efficient, the President signed an executive order tasking all government offices and local government units (LGUs) to adopt and implement an integrated financial management information system (IFMIS) in their transactions with the general public.

Executive Order No. 29 also enjoins government-owned or controlled state corporations to adopt and implement an IFMIS in all of their transactions.

Mr. Marcos also ordered the creation of a Public Financial Management (PFM) Committee, composed of representatives from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance (DOF), Commission on Audit (COA), and the Bureau of Treasury (BTr), to help in the transition to full digitalization of the PFM processes through the IFMIS.

The EO was issued based on the recommendation of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) for Digital Infrastructure to help promote efficiency, transparency on the app,” Cu said, noting the country’s very high rate of technology adoption.

The adoption of QR codes and use of digital payment apps will make savings and loan applications in banks a lot easier for the public, especially the farmers, fishers and small businesses, PSAC members said.

At the same time, the government could eliminate the “5-6” or usurious lending and similar money lending businesses thus driving down the cost of running small businesses, which are the main drivers of the economy.

Speaker...

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Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Timor Leste President Jose Ramos Horta, and former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

The ASEAN-Korea Leaders Forum is a special program of the Jeju Forumfor Peace and Prosperity. It brings together parliamentarians and business leaders in the region to forge mutually beneficial, inclusive, and trustworthy cooperation in the spirit of solidarity.

“I look forward to substantive discussions on how we as a collective global community can ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the region; as well as promote sustainable economic growth and enhance regional resilience, with a focus on energy and food security, among others,” Romualdez said in his message.

Noting that sustainable peace is a key component of economic growth, Romualdez said the Philippines continues its effort to reform and modernize the country’s security sector to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity, deal with natural calamities and disasters, to usher economic development.

“We still have ways to go and we will look to partners like the Republic of Korea and those present today in improving these initiatives, and in working together to make sure that the geopolitical challenges of today do not undermine the possible gains of our future,” Romualdez said.

He noted that the Philippines is an advocate for the importance ofopen communication and effective collabora-

Rainy...

From A1 result in above-normal rainfall conditions over the western part of the country," it added. As this developed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said damage to agricul - exercise his veto power and return the measure to Congress,” Pimentel said.

“These flaws that we see today are the consequences of haste and, if I may add to that, an ill-conceived legislation…By returning it to Congress, it will allow us to resolve conflicting provisions and add more safeguards to protect the funds and foster transparency and accountability,” Pimentel added.

As this developed, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno expressed confidence on Friday on the financial strength of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, saying its contribution to the MIF will not threaten financial stability in the country. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) and ease of doing business with the government.

The committee will conduct policy and process review of key PFM processes, including budget management and execution, cash management, and accounting and reporting to pinpoint bottlenecks and update corresponding policies; re-engineer PFM processes and maximize the use of financial systems to ensure seamless government transactions; and devise a strategic plan through the development of a PFM Reforms Roadmap to expedite the development of IFMIS, while ensuring harmonization of policies across oversight agencies.

The PFM Committee will also come up with a five-year plan for the development and implementation of the IFMIS that links national government agencies with DBM, DOF, COA, and Btr.

The EO said the PFM committee will also “shepherd and champion the passage of supporting legislation in Congress; coordinate budgetary and donor funding to support PFM reform efforts; provide comprehensive annual reports on all project milestones, findings, and recommendations to the Office of the President; and, issue necessary implementing policies, mechanisms, and procedures to carry out the objectives of the order.”

The committee is also directed to issue guidelines pertaining to the transitional arrangement to be followed by the concerned government agencies in the full adoption of the IFMIS.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology will provide technical and policy support in the development and implementation of the IFMIS, the EO said.

BSP Governor Felipe Medalla expressed support for the project.

"Mr. President, this one has a big impact on financial inclusion because the problem is there’s no way for banks to assess their credit scores, but if we have a digital database with their payment habits, that will be a substitute and a good proxy for credit scoring. This actually helps in the financial inclusion advocacy of the BSP and the government.” tion between inter-parliamentary bodies in addressing a range of transnational and global threats. ture and infrastructure due to “Betty” was minimal.

Aside from rallying support for PalengQR Ph Plus Initiative, PSAC made new recommendations for the President’s approval.

Romualdez identified critical areas of potential collaboration among parliamentarians in the region such as promoting green investment; equitable, and sustainable finance; improving the operational efficiency of inter-parliamentary mechanisms; promoting innovation, transfer, application, and development of science and technology for regional growth and sustainable development, and building resilient supply chain.

“We hope this forum can serve as a bridge to connect the Philippines and the rest of the Southeast Asian region closer to our Asian and international partners,” Romualdez said.

He also congratulated his counterpart, Kim Jin-pyo, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (ROK), for hosting the 2023 forum.

Other members of the House delegation include key officials of various committees of the chamber, including Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez (Chairperson-Accounts), Rep. Glona Labadlabad (Chairperson-Inter-parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy), Rep. Shernee Tan-Tambut (Chairperson-Peace, Reconciliation and Unity), Rep. Princess Rihan Sakaluran (Chairperson-East ASEAN Growth Area), Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora (Chairperson-Strategic Intelligence), Rep. Emigdio Tanjuatco III (Vice-chair-Foreign Affairs), Rep. John Tracy Cagas (Vice-chair-East ASEAN Growth Area), and Rep. Peter Miguel (Vice-chair-Health), as well as Rep. Ma. Alana Samantha Santos, Rep. Jonahtan Clement Abalos, and House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.

“Based on our monitoring and reports we got, the effect of Betty is very minimal in terms of damage to infrastructure and agriculture,” said NDRRMC spokesman Raffy Alejandro in a television interview.

He said close to 77,000 people in six regions were affected by the storm.

Betty left the Philippine area of re-

Oil firms to slash prices by P0.75/l for gas next week

By Alena Mae S. Flores

CONSUMERs can expect an oil price rollback next week by as much as P0.75 per liter for gasoline and P0.40 per liter for diesel to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

Industry sources said that based on the Mean of Platts Singapore trading and foreign exchange movement, gasoline will go down by P0.65 to P0.75 per liter and diesel by P0.30 to P0.40 per liter. Domestic pump prices are adjusted weekly, but oil prices depend on the brand, location, and market forces.

Reuters reported early this week that oil prices declined due to lower Chinese manufacturing activity in May which fueled demand concerns and a stronger US dollar.

On May 30, the oil companies implemented a per liter increase of P1.10 for gasoline while the price of kerosene dropped by P0.60 per liter. There was no movement in the price of diesel.

These price adjustments resulted in a year-to-date net decrease for kerosene at P6.75 per liter, and a net increase of P6.10 per liter for gasoline. Diesel remains at a net decrease of P5.05 per liter.

‘7m...

From A1

Data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed that CKD became the fourth most common cause of death in the Philippines in 2019 after ischemic heart disease, stroke, and lower respiratory infection. Tuberculosis was fifth.

“Only as few as 10 percent are diagnosed. This means our data of 7 million could be underestimated,” Luz said.

The early stage of CKD has no signs and symptoms, but it can be detected through serum creatinine exam.

The later stage of CKD could show symptoms like fatigue, lack of appetite, edema, nausea, vomiting, small amount of urine, lack of sleep, difficulty breathing, blood or protein in urine, rashes, and sexual function problems.

Luz said diabetes and hypertension are the top two causes of CKD in the country. The other causes include nephrolithiasis, polycystic kidney disease, chronic pyelonephritis, and glomerulonephritis.

Individuals who have kidney disorders in the family, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, heart disease, are smoking, are overweight, or over 60 years old could be at risk of having CKD.

“CKD is not cured completely, but not all individuals with CKD end up needing dialysis. The worsening of CKD can be delayed,” he said.

PH...

From A1 and the Alliance and Partnerships for Patient Innovations & Solutions (APPIS).

“We are privileged to partner with the Philippine Press Institute andICanServe Foundation in organizing this workshop. The support of the media is particularly important in increasing awareness on breast cancer, the most common type of cancer in Filipino women. Through their learnings from this workshop, our local journalists can help improve health literacy among the general public and facilitate early diagnosis and prompt treatment of breast cancer. There is hope for women diagnosed with breast cancer. They need to know that enhanced quality of life and overall survival are possible,” said Joel Chong, President of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

"Media must go beyond reporting just the statistics and give a human face to their stories. By keeping people and communities informed, this will also empower breast cancer patients and survivors," said PPI chairman Rolando Estabillo.

“Some journalists think that reporting on cancer can be boring anddepressing. Twenty-six years ago, I was one of them, but I have changed my mind since. Any delay in the delivery of health services to cancer patients can mean progression of disease or death. We can’t be timid as journalists,” said Ms. Kara MagsanocAlikpala, Founding President of ICanServe Foundation.

Entitled “Health Reporting on Breast Cancer in the Philippines,” the two half-day virtual workshop scheduled on June 21-22, 2023 will be attended by journalists who are PPI members. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) sponsibility on Thursday, but is still enhancing the southwest monsoon.

NDRRMC earlier said at least 10 to 14 tropical cyclones were expected to enter the country from May until October this year.

"We will continue to enhance our preparations by making sure we have enough stockpile of food and non-food items in our strategic warehouses throughout the country," Alejandro said. Rio N. Araja