House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez delivers his welcoming message on Thursday (November 23, 2023) at the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Pasay city. (Photo from office of the Speaker)
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Saturday said the Philippine delegation to the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) promoted the newly-created Maharlika Investment Corporation during the regional conference.
“Sa sidelines po, syempre binanggit din natin na meron tayong napasa na ngayon at batas na po na Maharlika Investment Corporation,” Romualdez told reporters in an ambush interview after the event.
(On the sidelines, of course, we also mentioned that we have passed something now and it is a law called Maharlika Investment Corporation.)
He co-chaired the annual meeting with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
“Kaya syempre, nakikita nila na maipagmamalaki itong napakagandang bansang Pilipinas, napaka sigla ng ating ekonomiya. At nakikita nila ang ating demokrasya talagang vibrant, ‘yung freedom of the press and expression ay nandito kaya nakikita po nila na mukhang maganda itong investment center at haven sa lahat ng sovereign wealth fund sa buong mundo, so mukhang maganda ang kinabukasan ng ating sovereign wealth fund,” he added.
(Of course, they see that they can be proud of this beautiful country, the Philippines; our economy is very vibrant. And they see that our democracy is really vibrant. The freedom of the press and expression is here, so they see that it looks like a good investment center and a haven for all sovereign wealth funds around the world. So, the future of our sovereign wealth fund looks good.)
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund bill into law in July.
Marcos said the fund would be needed to provide additional investment for the government.
Meanwhile, the President swore in Rafael Consing as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Maharlika Investment Corporation.
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