Maharlika up for Palace transmittal

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Act, which was certified urgent by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and two other enrolled bills were signed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, paving the way for its transmittal to the Palace.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito on Tuesday said only the signature of Zubiri was needed for the MIF Bill to be sent to House Speaker Martin Romualdez for his signature, before being transmitted to Malacanang.

The President can then either sign the bill to become a law or veto it.

Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel called on Mr. Marcos to revoke the investment measure.

The two other enrolled bills signed by Zubiri while in the US were the Estate Tax Amnesty Extension Act bill, and the bill recognizing Baler, Aurora, as the birthplace of Philippine surfing.

Zubiri signed the three enrolled bills at the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, where he is presently on a working visit, and holding meetings

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From A1 will still have to apply with the host distribution utilities to receive the lifeline discount.

Qualified lifeline rate beneficiaries are 4Ps beneficiaries qualified households under Republic Act No. 11310 while non-4Ps are marginalized endusers living below the poverty threshold established by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said the new lifeline program limits the scope of qualifications to those under the 4Ps program consuming less than the lifeline rate threshold, for example, 100 kilowatt-hour per month in the Meralco franchise area.

“The New Lifeline Rate Program is intended to limit the subsidies to marginalized consumers, aligning the identification of these consumers with the government’s 4Ps program. This also reduces the burden of subsidizing consumers, in effect, thus lowering also the rates paid,” Dimalanta said.

Last week, DOE, ERC, and the DSWD issued a tripartite advisory to distribution utilities for the implementation of the lifeline rate.

The agencies directed the distribution utilities to immediately implement the disqualification of those who are not qualified to avail of the lifeline rate, as provided under Rule 6, Section 6 of the Lifeline implementing rules and regulations. Those living in condominiums or subdivision projects, except those residing in government housing projects and similar projects, those who are availing net-metering services, those whose consumption falls at or below the consumption threshold but are not considered qualified marginalized end-users, and those who are convicted with finality for violating Anti-Pilferage of Electricity and Theft of Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Act of 1994 shall be disqualified from availing the lifeline rate.

The distribution utilities were also directed to also begin accepting and processing applications from its consumers seeking to avail of the lifeline rate program.

Distribution utilities are expected to complete the processing of the applications on or before Aug. 1, 2023.

Starting August 2023, only those who have approved applications shall be entitled to avail of the lifeline rate program.

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From A1 violation of Community Guidelines & (and) has been terminated,”

Team YouTube said in a Twitter post on Wednesday.

Quiboloy’s YouTube account had garnered more than 45,000 subscribers before it was taken down.

Two other supposed YouTube channels of the pastor, the True Gospel of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy and Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, only have 176 and 141 subscribers, respectively, remaining active on the platform.

Quiboloy, the leader and founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, a religious group based in Davao, was placed on the FBI’s most wanted list back in 2022 due to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.

The self-proclaimed “Son of God” also has close ties with the family of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who appointed him as a spiritual adviser.

Junk annually by 4 percent, and exemptions will be eliminated to broaden the tax base. These measures aim to strengthen the effectiveness of the sweetened beverage tax by further discouraging the consumption of such beverages. The higher taxes on junk food and sweetened beverages are expected to generate an additional P76 billion during the first year, the DOH said, and result in a 21 percent reduction in the consumption of junk food.

Pangandaman said for the first year

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From A1 with improper use of fertilizers and pesticides causing soil pollution and acidity worsening the situation.

“This summit is an opportune time for all of us here to collaborate, to share our wisdom and experience to improve our soil and boost our agricultural productivity, all while promoting sustainability and environmental protection,” the President said.

“This will play a pivotal role in nation-building and in uplifting the lives of our people.”

With the discourse among leaders and the agriculture sector’s brightest minds, the President said he expects the summit to spark more informed decisions and much-needed innovation. Through information sharing and enhancing programs related to soil health, he said that the country can promote sustainable soil use for the benefit of future generations.

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Senator Nancy Binay, committee chairperson, said passengers face inconveniences on multiple fronts on account of flight delays, cancellations, offloading and overbooking.

“Our airlines are a key partner in achieving our goal of making tourism soar again. But how are we to expect to reach our targets with the way things are going now?” Binay said.

Senator Grace Poe said she believes relevant government agencies, such as the Department of Transportation, should also be blamed for the state of affairs.

She noted the complaints are not limited to Cebu Pacific. “The airlines shouldn’t take the

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From A1 protect the vulnerable sector and as a way of honoring the frontliners “who have worked hard so that the world could return to a state of normalcy.”

In his speech during the launch of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, the Chief Executive underscored the importance of the government’s inoculation program to protect those with comorbidities and the elderly.

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From A1 with members of the United States Congress and US government agencies.

Pangandaman said the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) has already been presented to the President and would be presented to the Cabinet for their final approval today (Thursday).

Senate Secretary Renato Bantug, who was part of the Senate contingent for Zubiri’s working visit, brought along the enrolled copies to Washington.

“The Maharlika bill is a priority measure, and the Estate Tax Amnesty Extension is very time-sensitive,” said Zubiri, adding that many are waiting for these bills.

“Fortunately, he said the enrolled copies were already prepared by the time Sec. Bantug was set to join us in Washington,” Zubiri said. “So he was able to bring them along with him, instead of letting them sit in the Senate waiting for my return, and I was able to sign them on Philippine soil, here in the embassy.” of implementation alone, revenues to be generated from the sugary beverages were projected to be about P40 billion to P50 billion.

“On salty food, [we don’t have the figures] because this is still being studied. But Secretary Benjamin Diokno and the Department of Finance are very positive on the passage of [these] revenue measures,” Pangandaman said.

Earlier, Diokno said the administration wants to impose higher taxes on sugary beverages, motor vehicles and mining to raise much-needed revenues.

The DOF expects the revision of the excise tax on sugary drinks could raise

On the part of the government, Marcos said his administration has come up with a five-point priority agenda on soil and water management, such as the National Soil Health Program and the Implementation of Sustainable Land Management to ensure proper soil use and management, address land degradation, enhance crop productivity, and improve farmers’ income.

“The administration shall empower the Bureau of Soil and Water Management to achieve these goals, especially through capacitating soil laboratories across the country to yield better data,” he said.

He said the agency, which is under the Department of Agriculture, must work with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), among other agencies, to ensure the successful implementation of the agenda. “We are conducting a soil and land resources mapping and evaluation process that includes soil-based and land-based brunt of the airline passengers’ complaints. The airport and the policies of the DOT should also be scrutinized if they are also part of the problem. Sometimes, the problem is not with airlines but also with our airports,” said Poe, who chairs the Senate committee on public services.

Senator Christopher Go called on the airline to promptly address the concerns of its passengers.

Speaking before the Senate panel, Cebu Pacific Chief Commercial Officer Alexander Lao offered the company’s apologies to the passengers for the disruptions and assured the panel of their commitment to resolve these problems.

“We value the trust and confidence of our passengers and are committed to provide safe, affordable and reliable flights,” Lao said.

To enhance their operations and help

He acknowledged all the country’s partners and stakeholders who played a significant part in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic when he joined the Department of Health (DOH) officers at the program.

Mr. Marcos conveyed the country’s appreciation to the government of the Republic of Lithuania for donating 390,000 doses of the bivalent vaccines, which protect against the original strain of the virus and its omicron subvariants.

He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the World Health Organization (WHO) and COVID-19 Vaccines Glob -

“After a couple of weeks of sleepless nights, we had marathon meetings on the budget because as you know, budget preps usually start in February – the first quarter of the year when we release the budget call. And then after that, the agencies will submit their requests to us and then we hold a couple, a series of meetings with the departments and around P53.7 billion, motor vehicles at P15.8 billion, and P12.4 billion from the mining tax. level assessments, soil sample analyses and digital map preparations under the Philippine Soil Land Resources Information program,” the President said. customers, Lao also said they have implemented measures such as activating a disruption management team, increasing live chat agents, and improving policies and processes for disruption handling and communication. al Access (COVAX) for their continued assistance to the country during and after the pandemic.

“This was at no expense to the Philippine government because Secretary Bantug was really with the Senate delegation,” clarified the Senate leader.

The Estate Tax Amnesty program expired on June 14, 2023, this its Extension Act will push the period of availment under the program by two years, or up to June 14, 2025. Malacañang had certified it as an urgent measure.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez and Senator Francis Tolentino, who are part of Zubiri’s working visit, witnessed the signing.

“We have a few more days of meetings here in Washington, but with these enrolled bills already signed, we can send them out straightaway upon our return,” said Zubiri.

Diokno said these new tax measures were on top of the remaining tax reform packages that were left behind by the Duterte administration.

Diokno said the incremental revenues from the tax package will fund socioeconomic programs initiated by the Marcos administration, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s food stamp program.

This program will provide support to 1 million food-poor households, to alleviate food insecurity and malnutrition, he said.

At the same time, the administration is also exploring water security for climate resilient rainwater technologies, and the conduct of cloud seeding operations for agriculture to improve water conditions in production areas, critical watersheds, and reservoirs to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, he added.

The Marcos administration has made food security a top agenda and has been carrying out a number of initiatives to realize this goal.

One of the government’s thrusts is consolidating farmers’ cooperatives and associations and their lands as well as the introduction of new technologies and machinery to Filipino farmers, and giving them access to more efficient practices.

It also welcomed major investments in the agriculture industry from local and foreign investors, as part of the plan to provide farmers with the capital and tools they need to boost their productivity.

Lao admitted these actions may not be sufficient for affected passengers so they are making an assessment to provide better care during the recovery period.

He also spelled out the challenges besetting the global aviation industry that have direct impact on the operations of Cebu Pacific and other airlines.

Among them, Lao said, was the delivery delays from Airbus, their aircraft manufacturers, which necessitate changes to their flight schedules, including flight cancellations and equipment changes from larger to smaller aircraft.

Above all, the President honored the vaccine manufacturers, scientists, healthcare workers, and all those “whose sacrifices led the world to a state of normalcy.”

Mr. Marcos said that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is not only good for the one who received it, but is also good for the protection of one’s family and the general public.

“So, we must not let our guard down. Although the rest of society – agencies for them to justify their budget proposals,” Pangandaman said.

She expects that the approval of the 2024 budget will be done faster than the previous year.

“Under the Constitution po, we should submit the national expenditures program one month after the SONA. On our calendar, we will submit our NEP to making heads roll for this incident. This is unacceptable.”

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“They are there now under custody of the NBI agents and they would be brought for inquest at any time within today or tomorrow (June 22). We are looking at all the possible cases to be filed,” he added.

Dera and his cohorts were apprehended late Tuesday evening while returning to the detention facility after they allegedly went outside to eat at a hotel in Makati City. Illegal firearms, cash, and other contraband were also seized by responding authorities, the DOJ said. There were also reports of Dera having links to suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves.

Dera’s camp denied the allegations of him bribing the jail guards and his alleged ties with Teves as his “bagman.”

Dera’s lawyer Raymund Palad insisted his client was outside due to medical reasons and was escorted by NBI personnel.

“I asked him, ‘Ano ba talaga nangyari?’ He said galing sila sa labas, kabababa lang nila sa isang NBI marked vehicle,” Palad said.

Palad said the arrest was made inside the NBI compound.

He also challenged reports that Dera was carrying P25-million for the suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

“Nung una pamangkin daw sya ni De Lima. Ngayon naman bagman ni Cong. Teves. Hindi totoo yon (First they said he was a nephew of De Lima. Now he is the bagman of Cong. Teves. That is not true),” Palad said.

Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio also disputed the allegation.

“Very clumsy attempt to again falsely implicate Cong. Teves. Ang sasabihin ko lang sa kung sinuman gumawa n’yan, try harder, try better,” Topacio said in an interview.

Meanwhile, the NBI said it will not condone the acts of its personnel and assured the public that charges will be filed against those connected to the incident.

From A1 sourcing more funds from the wealthy, and feeding the poorest of the poor.

Incumbent Senators Christopher Go and Imee Marcos were in third in the survey with 39%, followed by Domagoso and former Senate President Vicente Sotto III in 4th place with 36%.

Another incumbent Senator, Ronald dela Rosa, and former senator Panfilo Lacson were tied with 35% in 5th place. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro followed them with 31% while former Vice President Maria Leonora “Leni” Robredo got 28%.

Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque and former senator Francis Pangilinan were tied in 8th place with 25%, followed by incumbent Senator Pia Cayetano with 24%.

Former senator Manny Pacquiao and Ormoc Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez were in the 10th spot with 22%, followed by incumbent Senator Francis Tolentino and human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, both with 21%.

Completing the Top 12 of the most preferred senators in 2025 was former senator Richard Gordon with 19%.

Publicus stated that of the 43 names in the list, “with the exception of newcomer Erwin Tulfo (coming in strongly at 2nd to 3rd spot), the top 12 contenders are old-timers in the senatorial list, while Rodrigo the other sectors of our society have tried to move on and say the emergency is over, and certainly in a way we can say that is the case. However, it is not over completely,” the President said.

“And that is why we should not be complacent and that is why we institute programs like this, which continue to seek to protect our vulnerable populace, (the) vulnerable sectors of our populace, and that particular demographic in this case is that of the elderly,” he added.

President Marcos also urged the citi- the Congress one week after the 24th (of July),” Pangandaman said.

She also underscored President Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that the 2024 budget will continue to support major programs prioritized in 2023.

These include education, infrastructure development, agriculture, livelihood programs, health, and digitalization.