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House suspends Teves for another 60 days amid refusal to return to PH By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives on Wednesday imposed another 60-day suspension without pay on Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves, Jr. over his continued Next page
GOVERNOR WHO REPLACED DEGAMO PASSES AWAY NEWS / A6
VOL. XXXVII • NO. 106 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Maharlika bill goes to Palace House adopts Senate version, keeps ban on state pension funds
BUZZER-BEATER. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri thanks his colleagues after a marathon session on the Maharlika Investment
Fund bill early Wednesday dawn ahead of the sine die adjournment of Congress. The measure will be transmitted to the Palace for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature. Joseph Vidal
By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and Vince Lopez
T
HE enrolled copy of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill will be transmitted to the Palace for signing by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after both Houses of Congress adopted the bicameral conference committee report, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Wednesday afternoon following more than 12 hours of deliberation.
In a 20-minute meeting of the bicameral conference committee at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City, the House adopted the Senate version of the bill, negating the need to reconcile the disagreeing provisions of the two versions. President Marcos, meanwhile, assured the public that the government Next page
Solons commend Speaker for ‘exceptional’ leadership By Maricel V. Cruz
Speaker Martin Romualdez for “his exceptional, reformative and effecTHE House of Representatives tive leadership” during the first reguon Wednesday night unanimously lar session of the 19th Congress. Next page adopted a resolution commending
Typhoon ‘Betty’ Economic managers laud passage of MIF with ‘several safeguards’ affects close to 15,000 people By Julito G. Rada and Othel V. Campos
Fund (MIF) bill that was approved early Wednesday morning has more safeguards against potential abuse and is ECONOMIC managers said the Senate also more acceptable to everyone. The economic team lauded the apversion of the Maharlika Investment
proval in the Senate on the third and final reading of Senate Bill 2020 that proposes the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund or the MIF. “The economic team commends Sen-
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PBBM: Gov’t, LGUs must digitalize transactions
By Joel E. Zurbano and Charles Dantes A TOTAL of 14,908 people or 3,821 families have been affected as of Wednesday by Typhoon “Betty,” which will continue to affect Batanes and northern Luzon and enhance the southwest monsoon or “habagat” until it exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility by week’s end. Batanes is still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 and may continue to experience gale-force winds due to Betty, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 8 p.m. advisory.
ate President Senator Migz Zubiri and Senator Mark Villar for their thorough deliberation and prioritization of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund
By Vince Lopez
DIGITAL PUSH. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joins the Government Service Insurance System in celebrating its 87th anniversary on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. In his speech, Mr. Marcos made a renewed push for digitalization of business transactions in all government agencies. Rey Baniquet
THE Marcos administration is pushing for more digitized transactions in all government agencies, including at local government units (LGUs), to provide seamless and accurate service to the Filipino people. In his speech during the 86th Anniversary celebration of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay City, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said all government agencies and LGUs should fully embrace the digitalization of business transactions to meet the demands of their complex operations. “Given the demands of these complex operations, it is highly crucial that digital transformation be fully embraced, Next page
Radio broadcaster gunned down in Oriental Mindoro By Charles Dantes
said, the latest in a long list of journal- Delorino said. ists killed in the country. One of the assailants died after Cresenciano Bunduquin, 50, was Bunduquin’s son hit the gunmen with A RADIO broadcaster was shot dead outside his home in Calapan City, Ori- killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen his vehicle as they fled the scene of ental Mindoro on Wednesday, police in Calapan City, police Col. Samuel Next page
PH’s power grid performs better under NGCP NEW LTO CHIEF. Incoming Land Transportation Office officer-in-charge Hector Villacorta joins Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and outgoing LTO head Jose Art Tugade in a press briefing on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Manny Palmero
Villacorta new LTO officer-in-charge By Charles Dantes
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista confirmed the designation of VilTHE Department of Transportation on lacorta as the replacement of LTO chief Wednesday named lawyer Hector Vil- Jay Art Tugade, whose resignation lacorta as the officer-in-charge of the takes effect today (June 1). “Asec. Villacorta will be the LTO OIC Land Transportation Office. In a public briefing on Wednesday, Next page
By Alena Mae S. Flores THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said Wednesday the power grid’s performance continues to improve since it took over as the country’s transmission service provider in 2009. In a statement, NGCP said its overall performance in operating the grid from 2009 to 2022 was significantly better, as indicated by improved performance indicators compared to when the grid was run by the government from 2000 to 2008. Next page
URBAN GARDENING. The Department of Agriculture and SM Supermalls, through its corporate social responsibility arm, SM Foundation, renew their Memorandum of Agreement to make urban gardening available in 21 more SM malls. (From left) Pasay City Mayor Chief of Staff Peter Eric Pardo, Pasay City Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office Chief Teresita Calixto-Robles, Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Plant Industry Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban, SM Supermalls Senior Vice President for Operations Bien Mateo, DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, SM Foundation Executive Director Deborah Sy, and SM Foundation Assistant Vice President for Outreach Program Cristina Angeles.