Filipino News 164

02 BUHAY OVERSEAS | ISSUE 164 | www.filipinonews.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | MOBILE : 027 495 8477 |
www.filipinonews.nz : North Island Edition - 22nd Anniversary | www.pinoynzlife.nz : South Island Edition. Print and Online!
PH WOMEN’S SOCCER
TEAM BOUND FOR NZ
NZ visa dilemma for
NBL’s Kai Sotto
By Mel Fernandez
The Philippine Women’s
National Football Team is set to
play three fixtures in New
Zealand during the FIFA
Women’s World Cup 2023.
The Philippines will play
against Switzerland, New
Zealand and Norway (Group A)
at various locations in New
Zealand:
PH VS SWITZERLAND - 21
July 2023 K.O. 5:00 pm in
Dunedin.
NZ VS PH - 25 July 2023
K.O. 5:30 pm in Wellington.
NORWAY VS PH - 30 July
2023 K.O. 5:00 pm in Auckland.
Look out for more updates at:
www.filipinonews. nz
AUCKLAND – Filipinos
in New Zealand
were disappointed that
a top PH basketball
star was a no show at
the Sky Sport Breakers
versus Adelaide 36ers
match on 20th November
2022 at the Trust
Stadium in Auckland.
Kai Sotto, 20, who
plays the centre position
for the Adelaide
36ers and stands at a
monster 7ft, 3 inches
(wingspan 7ft, 5 inches)
was refused entry
into New Zealand due
to visa complications.
Sadly, Adelaide’s
offense at the game
steadily crumbled as
the NZ Breakers took a
45-43 lead into half
time and emerged victorious
with 89-83 on
the scoreboard.
Basketball phenomenon
Sotto, a former
NBA G-League trainee
and The Skill Factory
(in Atlanta, Georgia)
MVP joined the Adelaide
46ers of the
Australian Basketball
League as a professional
basketball player on
21st April 2021.
He has also played
for the Ateneo Blue
Eaglets of the University
Athletic Association
of the Philippines
(UAAP) before moving
to The Skill Factory.
Kai has represented
the Philippines’ national
team in several senior
and youth tournaments.
A
C
B
Enrile asks Marcos to ‘carefully’
review Maharlika Fund
By Azer Parrocha
MANILA – Chief
Presidential Legal Counsel
Juan Ponce Enrile
has urged President
Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
to “carefully” review a
bill proposing the creation
of a Maharlika Investment
Fund (MIF), warning
him that he may eventually
be blamed should
the fund be abused.
In an interview over
SMNI Sonshine Media
Network International,
Enrile said he was unsure
of the direction of the proposed
sovereign wealth
fund and whether it would
receive funding even after
Marcos’ six-year term.
“That’s why I told the
President - Mr. President,
let’s study it carefully
because that will be written
during your time.
“Maybe your successor
Juan Ponce
Enrile
would not understand
your good aspirations and
squander the fund then
you would be put to
blame because you signed
the law,’” he said.
“If you don’t mind,
we’ll have to discuss it
and put all the safeguards
so in that way, those managing
the fund while be
held responsible if there is
a problem,” he added.
A . PINEAPPLE-SHAPED LANTERNS. Roger Riños, 56,
of Camarin, Caloocan City assembles a pineapple-shaped
paper lantern under the waiting shed along Visayas Avenue in
Quezon City. The price of the lanterns ranges from PHP35 to
PHP200 each. (Ben Briones - PNZ)
B . PAROL. Christmas lanterns made by persons deprived of
liberty at the Davao City Jail are installed all over Davao
City. The city began buying Christmas lanterns from the city
jail in 2016. (Robinson Niñal Jr. - PNA)
C . CHRISTMAS IS HERE. Shoppers take a look at
Christmas trees being sold in stalls at the Dapitan Arcade in
Quezon City. (Ben Briones - PNA)
Enrile clarified
that he
is not against
the proposed
MIF, but
noted that he
wanted to
make sure
that the creation
of a
sovereign
wealth fund
would not
harm the
President’s reputation.
Instead of creating a
MIF, Enrile said it is
“safer” to use funds from
the PHP5.268-trillion proposed
national budget for
2023.
“Why not take it from
the general fund and let it
be a responsibility of the
government and tighten
the responsibility of the
directors?” he said.
He said while he trusts
Marcos’ current Cabinet
members, he doubted if
he could give the same
trust for Cabinet members
of the next administrations.
Enrile said anyone
involved in corrupt practices
while managing the
fund to “automatically”
serve jail time at the New
Bilibid Prison (NBP) in
Muntinlupa City.
In the latest iteration of
the proposed bill creating
the MIF, its initial capitalization
was cut by more
than half to just PHP110
billion from PHP275 billion
after the House leadership
dropped the Social
Security System, Government
Service Insurance
System and the
national budget from its
fund sources.
The President of the
Philippines was also
replaced by the Secretary
of Finance as head of the
MIF Corporation's governing
board.
The House Committee
on Banks and Financial
Intermediaries approved a
provision on jail time for
those who will violate the
bill’s stipulations.
It also approved reverting
the name to MIF from
the previous Maharlika
Wealth Fund or MWF.
BACKSTORY:
House Bill 6398, introduced
on Nov. 28, seeks
to establish a Philippine
sovereign wealth fund
patterned after the successful
sovereign wealth
funds all over the world. -
(PNA)