INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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PUBLIC ORDER BILL: AN UNPRECEDENTED POWER TO REGULATE ACTIVISTS, PROMPTED A HUGE CONTROVERSY By: Sofia P. Abarquez

Human rights organizations claim that the British government is attempting to curb democracy due to having an intent of granting the police a greater authority for them to take more aggressive actions against people participating in political protest. On January 15, the administration announced that it would introduce amendments to the Public Order Bill and is now being discussed in Parliament.

The offender would undergo punishments in accordance with the crime committed. Particularly, the bill singles out organizations like Black Lives Matter, Extinction Rebellion, and Just Stop Oil, all of whom have engaged in violent rallies against the government.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We cannot have protests conducted by a small minority disrupting the lives of Public Order Bill criminalizes protesters who the ordinary public. It’s not acceptable physically affix themselves to other people, and we’re going to bring it to an end.” objects, or structures in an attempt to cause Rowley, the chief of the major disruption. Any behavior that prohibits Mark or considerably hinders the operation of Metropolitan Police Service in London, national infrastructure, such as airports, also released a statement in which he railroads, printing presses, and downstream pointed out that the police had not oil and gas infrastructure, is regarded to be a requested more authority from the government to bring a halt to protests. violation. January Edition | 2023

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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Leading human rights attorney Adam Wagner presumes that this may be because the police stand to benefit relatively less from the whole situation. Even so, critiques of the government’s stance stress that officers are already equipped to deal with unruly and destructive protests. “The police have been very clear that they have the power to adequately deal with protests and manage protests when they are going to cause unjustified disruption and that’s been the case for decades,” Human Rights Watch's (HRW) UK director, Yasmine Ahmed, told CNN.

As a result of the Public Order Bill controversy, Ahmed has left in the thought of what kind of nation Britain Wagner argues that the bill may result in legal wants to be in 2023; “When people argue action being brought against the government that the government has a right to stop for contravening human rights laws: protests, well that’s what China says, that’s what Russia says, that’s what “Our right to protest is fundamental, especially at a time when we are in the grip Myanmar says,” she said. of a cost-of-living crisis, a climate crisis and our public health service is on its knees. Instead of helping people who are below the poverty line – people who are in work, including nurses – the government is wasting time crushing dissent,” she stated.

“We wouldn’t live in the democracy we have today if people didn’t have the right to protest and disrupt things.”

Human Rights Watch's (HRW) UK director, Yasmine Ahmed January Edition | 2023

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LOCAL NEWS

Scripturient “We take this as a lesson and we manifest to this honorable committee and fellow Filipinos that we take full responsibility and accountability for what happened,” Tamayo said. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. apologized for the inconvenience brought by the airport fiasco to the passengers.

NAIA PASSENGERS, WELCOME THE NEW YEAR WITH AN AIRPORT FIASCO By: Raniel S. Paquingan

“I’m sorry. We, of course, we have to apologize to our kababayans who, especially those who came from abroad dahil limitado ang kanilang bakasyon (because their vacation is just limited),” Marcos said.

It was not a happy new year for 65,000 Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) passengers, who were among at least 300 flights affected by the offline air traffic navigation system, which shut down the country's airspace on the first day of the year. As of this writing, the main cause of the malfunction of the Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) was a circuit breaker failure, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) stated. Both the House and Senate are conducting investigations into the airport disaster. In a Senate hearing on January 12, CAAP Director General Manuel Tamayo offered to take responsibility for the air transport system shutdown. January Edition | 2023

The president assures Filipinos that the shutdown of NAIA’s air transport system will not happen again. Marcos even inspected the airport and had a discussion with Transportation officials regarding the government’s move. page 6

LOCAL NEWS

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“Nawala yung dalawa, tatlong araw, e. Alam naman natin, very valuable sa Pilipino ‘yung Christmas holiday. Kaya’t kami’y naghihingi — humihingi ng inyong paumanhin. Ngunit gagawin namin ang lahat na hindi na maulit ito (They lost about two, three days. We know that Christmas holiday is very valuable to Filipinos. So, we are apologizing. But we will do everything so that this won’t happen again),” he added.

By: Ma. Chricel T. Arado

IMPROVEMENTS IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, REMAIN AT A SLOW SPEED; COMMUTING, STILL A DAILY STRUGGLE FOR PASSENGERS By: Ma. Chricel T. Arado

Commuters in the Philippines are facing several challenges as they rely on public transportation to get around. From overcrowding to a lack of safety measures, commuters face several issues that have become a regular part of their daily lives. One of the most significant issues facing commuters is overcrowding. During "rush hours," it is common to see buses and jeepneys overflowing with passengers, some of whom are standing or sitting at the vehicle's entry. This has led to several safety concerns, as overcrowded vehicles are more prone to accidents. In addition, many public vehicles in the Philippines are not equipped with the necessary safety measures. Seatbelts are rarely seen, and many buses and jeepneys do not have airbags. This leaves passengers vulnerable in the event of an accident. January Edition | 2023

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LOCAL NEWS The government has taken some steps to address these issues. In recent years, the Department of Transportation has introduced new regulations to make public transportation safer. These include stricter safety requirements for vehicles and stricter enforcement of traffic rules. It was noted that last October 2022, the fare hike took effect and was approved by the LTFRB.

Scripturient Despite these efforts, the situation remains dire for commuters in the Philippines. Without better safety measures and more reliable transportation, commuters will continue to face challenges as they use public transportation. It is up to the government to ensure that commuters can move around safely and reliably.

ONION PRICES REMAIN EYETEARING FOR BUYERS By: Josephine Julliane J. Palma

Onions have always been a significant ingredient in Filipino cuisine and were always in demand, especially during the holiday season. It takes three to four months for onions to mature from seed to harvest; however, insect infestation and excessive soil moisture caused by heavy rain that encourages anthracnose from fungal growth are the main risks to onion growth.

The minimum fares for the traditional and modern public utility jeepneys had a ₱1increase equivalent to a ₱12 and ₱14 fare, respectively; a ₱2-hike for the city and provincial buses equivalent to an ₱11 to ₱15 minimum fare; and a higher flag-down rate for taxis and TNVS of ₱5, equivalent to a ₱35 to ₱45 minimum fare. The fare hike has been met with mixed reactions from commuters, with some expressing frustration at the increase while others have welcomed the move as a necessary step to ensure better services for passengers. January Edition | 2023

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LOCAL NEWS Since May last year, the supply or production of onions has dropped and has been below the demand, according to the Department of Agriculture’s 2022 onion supply and demand. The price of locally grown red onions increased from 90 pesos in July 2022 to 140 pesos one month later and to 200 pesos in October. Over the Christmas holiday season, the price jumped to 550 and 700 pesos, according to price monitoring data from the Department of Agriculture.

Along with inflation, climate change has also been a concern. The Philippines is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures and increased rainfall, which affect crop growth, given that it is an island nation in a tropical area. January Edition | 2023

Scripturient "Developing countries are more vulnerable, lose more when these climate shocks hit, and have fewer resources to cope with the adverse effects of these shocks," Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said at a November summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

President Marcos approved the importation of at least 21,000 metric tons of onions earlier this month in an attempt to control supplies and prices. The onions are expected and must arrive in the Philippines by January 27, 2023. Moreover, a department memo states that any late-arriving shipment will be refused and returned. The Philippines' government officials are hoping that onion imports will keep the country going for the next few months. page 9

LOCAL NEWS

Scripturient "This is a simple yet meaningful gesture to demonstrate that PLM is a safe space for academic freedom and gender expression," President Leyco said. The university president even personally welcomed members of PLM Propaganda on the first day of the implementation of gender-neutral uniforms.

PLM TAKES A GREAT STEP TOWARDS GENDER INCLUSIVITY By: Raniel S. Paquingan

"A huge step towards a progressive and inclusive PLM."

This is how PLM Propaganda, the university's premier LGBTQIA+ student organization, described PLM's recent decision to adopt gender-neutral uniforms, making it the first public university to do so. Through Administrative Order No. 21-ACA issued by the university president Emmanuel Leyco on Oct. 26 and took effect on Nov. 16, students now have the option to wear either a plain white polo with the PLM patch or a white blouse with a tie as their top, paired with either blue-gray pants or a skirt and closed black shoes. January Edition | 2023

"The PLM Propaganda is delighted to see our women of beauty and power wearing their gender-affirming uniforms," the university’s LGBTQIA+ student organization stated in a Facebook post as they celebrate the “beauty of inclusion.” page 10

EDITORIAL

A DETERRENT TO CYBERCRIME OR AN OVERTURE TO MASS SURVEILLANCE? By:John Cedrick Ubas

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Though the nobleness of the act was clearly evident in its objective; we still cannot undermine the fact that the act compromises people's freedom and rights to privacy.

Amid the proliferation of digital fraud; a Herculean task has been instituted for the Filipino people, as the incumbent President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., has signed into law — Republic Act No. 11934 or the SIM Registration Act that mandates all subscriber identity modules or SIM Cards, be registered. The act’s main goal is to require all public telecommunications organizations (PTEs) to demand SIM card registration before they are sold and activated in an effort to encourage accountability and provide authorities an identification tool for investigating crimes. Moreover, the act requires all subscribers to disclose personal information such as their full name, date of birth, gender and address, together with a government ID with photo as a prerequisite procedure for SIM activation.

January Edition | 2023

The aforementioned act could really decrease the number of online scammers and senders of spam messages, however, it also leaves the door open for the potential of data breach if it falls into the wrong hands. Additionally, the said registration would last for 6 months and an additional 4 months if there is a need for an extension However, not all mobile users are privileged enough to have internet access nor possession of a valid ID and a smartphone. page 11

EDITORIAL

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In October last year, the PSA mentioned that 23.2 million out of approximate of 70 million IDs had already been distributed. Due to this, many concerns have been raised that the government should have prioritized the issuance of the National ID instead of the enactment of the said law.

As reported by the London-based Privacy International, the SIM card registration did not put an end to scammers and spam messages. Rather it increased identityrelated crimes and a large black market as the scammers can easily avoid the SIM registration by using different types of tricks, such using foreign SIMs in roaming Furthermore, a great number of Filipinos, mode. especially the older generations are still using keypad phones. It would be difficult for them The registration of SIM cards also restricts to register their SIM cards as the registration people's ability to communicate privately, process is done online. which may affect the work of some people, especially journalists as this will hinder their communication with their anonymous sources. Even though the authorities claimed that this law will not be used to violate human rights and will respect people's freedom, what the results show is the exact opposite as it has increased further the possibility of red-tagging and imposing threats on the freedom of speech. In some countries, this policy somehow helps them fight cybercrime, but in some countries, it has little or no effect. In our In contrast to the cries of the people, the country which has experienced an IRR of Republic Act No. 11934 states that all administration smeared with extrajudicial personal information is to be kept killings, and multiple violations of human confidential, and PTEs and their employees rights, it is understandable why Filipinos who disclose or reveal any data, even if it are skeptical of such an act that covers is due to their negligence, will be subject to their personal information. punishments and penalties. However, such data breach preventive measures still do not offer people an assurance that their personal information would be leaked. In fact, weeks after the imposition of the act, many complaints have surfaced in the social media saying that they still receive spam messages after registering their SIM cards. January Edition | 2023

The act, if executed properly, could serve its purpose as a deterrent to cybercrime, and if not, it could become an overture to mass surveillance. What we can do right now, though, is to always exercise caution and awareness, and to respond quickly if a situation calls for it. page 12

EDITORIAL

BILL SEEKING TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF HETEROSEXUALS MET WITH BACKLASH FROM LGBTQ COMMUNITY By: Kurt Torremucha

Scripturient Should anyone attempt to prohibit these rights, the proposed bill states that the violator will be penalized with five to seven years of imprisonment and a fine of P100,000 to P200,000.

In addition, if the violator is a public official, they will be dismissed from their Manila Rep. Benny Abante has filed House Bill post and will not be able to hold any 5717, otherwise known as "The Heterosexual public office in the future. Act of 2022". According to the bill, heterosexual individuals will be given rights that allow them to practice and protect their religious beliefs and profession without any interference. It will also give them the right to freely express their views about homosexuality and other sexual orientations according to their religious beliefs, practices and biblical principles. The expressions may be done: "privately or publicly, verbally or in writing, or through print or broadcast media or through social media platforms" according to the bill.

According to Abante, the recent bills that have been submitted to grant protection to the LGBTQ+ community "not only recognize, but worse, promote and give rewards to 'genders' not created by God ''. "If we allow these bills to become a law, these groups of precious souls will be driven away and away from God (Whom we say we believe in) until they are gone too far that they could no longer recognize Him or Hear his call," he added. Abante stressed that if the LGBTQ+ community are given rights to be protected, then these must also be given to heterosexuals who are "the actual and direct creations of God." "Heterosexuals should be respected and protected of their right to live and act as God created them to be and to freely proclaim God's truths, principles, and standards" Abante said.

January Edition | 2023

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EDITORIAL

Scripturient Prioritizing the Agricultural Sector due to highly induced inflation, NEDA aims to prioritize food security. Agriculture plays a big part in our economy, and that’s why we need to prioritize it, I agree with NEDA for prioritizing it. But as Filipinos in order to prioritize, we need to see some evidence. However, based on the platforms given to analyze what is happening in our Agricultural Capabilities we always see in the newspapers and the media, the Agricultural Sector of the Philippines was incomparable to worst.

In my perspective, if the government truly prioritized it we wouldn’t we shouldn’t be experiencing high-value prices of vegetables such as onions. By: Marjay Gabriel B. Dela Cruz Thus, if it is planned for years it would not happen, Though inflation is an The Philippines is the seventh-largest market inevitable case, we can say that we for agricultural exports from the United States aren’t as planned as other country does and the top market in Southeast Asia. The to fight inflation. Philippines, a long-standing and trustworthy trading partner, continues to provide many chances for exporters due to its young and increasing population and rising household income. Over the last decade, the Philippine food and beverage industry has expanded dramatically.

DOES NEDA AIM TO PRIORITIZE FOOD SECURITY?

While normal consumption habits have had to adapt to pandemic restrictions in recent years, the sector has remained resilient. In 2021, the United States had a record year for agricultural exports to the Philippines. Nonetheless, hitting annual records will most certainly require diversification, particularly in consumer-oriented products. Exporters can benefit from the long-standing commercial connection and consumer trust in American products. January Edition | 2023

If only Filipinos were good decisionmakers, if we elected the proper leaders who would advance our agricultural capacities rather than only the mouthblabbering politicians who will only make our nation worse, this wouldn't happen. Since, in reality, we have all the excellent products because we live in a tropical nation with a favorable environment, which is tempered by our Filipino Farmers. page 14

FEATURE

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WHY DO SOME GET PAID SO LITTLE,

Why do some get paid too much? By: Rezia Antiquiera

"Bakit sad dahil back to work na?" Internet star Donnalyn Bartolome encouraged her 16 million Facebook fans who are suffering from the "return-to-work blues" during the first week of 2023 to feel "grateful," especially those who have stalled in their existing positions while the cost-of-living soars. Donnalyn, who was jokingly crowned by the public as the Patron Saint of Labor and Employment following her viral post, was criticized for her toxic work positivism. Later, she acknowledged that it might have been phrased more precisely and that it did not apply to everyone. However, her post at the beginning of the year, when everything was expensive (a kilo of onions was selling for P700) and people were still protesting for a minimum wage raise, sparked controversy. The minimum wage in the Philippines increased by 481 pesos during the course of 34 years, beginning with the country's 7.5% inflation rate, from 89 pesos in 1989 to 570 pesos in 2022. We all know that the minimum wage cannot cover all a person's fundamental necessities. Transportation fares increased along with the cost of basic commodities in the market as the price of onions rose. All of the Filipino wage employees are being negatively impacted by Donnalyn's insensitive post, in which she meant that they are supposed to be grateful for their employment. Even a basic family supper cannot be purchased with this amount of money. The mental preparations for another work week consume Sunday's rest day, both for me as a customer service representative and for every corporate slave dreading Mondays. January Edition | 2023

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FEATURE This includes the stress of having to get up before dawn for a two to three-hour commute to work and then leaving at midnight. Long queues at jeepney terminals, the MRT, or the EDSA Carousel during the beginning and end of workweeks cause stress in commuters who are waiting in line since there are not enough rides available. If there is a rider prepared to take them to their destination, it means paying a higher cost for comparably faster travel for those who can afford cabs, Grab, Angkas, or even habal.

According to PSA's November 2022 data, an employee works an average of 39.3 hours per week. In addition to the drive, OTYs (overtime thank yous), and emergency meetings, it translates to 85 days of an employee's life spent at work annually. Long commutes are to blame for stress, which demotivates workers and lowers participation at work. If the train or bus were to become stuck in an EDSA traffic jam first thing in the morning, how would you motivate your team to face a full day of meetings and PowerPoint presentations? They might be coping with toxic office drama, preventing job burnout, dealing with a demanding environment, immature supervisors, and dealing with entitled, narrow-minded clients. January Edition | 2023

Scripturient Toxic positivity masks a person's true emotions when they are going through difficult circumstances. Simple empathy would not be as demanding on your good nature, would not bruise your ego, and would not consume you as much. We are not all sailing in the same boat and enjoying the same rights, surroundings, and opportunities in life, as they claim. In addition to maintaining optimism in the face of dire circumstances, it is critical to identify bad feelings resulting from unfortunate events to learn from them and develop from them instead of just brushing them off as if they don't matter at all—because they do.

You don't have to subscribe to Bartolome's work philosophy, which holds that hustle on January 1 sets the tone for the entire year in terms of career, so stop believing entitled, out-of-touch people who merely invalidate your emotions. It’s acceptable to be depressed. After a protracted vacation from routine, post-holiday blues do occur and are common. According to the International Labour Organization, the minimum wage is the lowest amount of money that an employer is required to pay employees for work performed within a specific period.The purpose of enforcing minimum wage laws and policies is to safeguard vulnerable workers from exploitation. There are several demands and petitions in the Philippines from workers calling for an increase in the minimum wage. page 16

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The government should begin distributing the appropriate quantity of funds to the people; an increase in basic income and salaries will result in poverty reduction, child labor exploitation prevention, workplace equity promotion, and the saving of more lives. The government should determine how much money a person should receive in order to survive market inflation and commodity price The minimum wage is one of several reasons increases. why it is difficult to work in the Philippines, with the result that many Filipinos are A minimum wage increase should not encouraged to work overseas, and be a difficult battle for Filipinos to win professionals are turned away due to low since, given how hard they work, they compensation. alongside the economic crisis, deserve one. Solving this would begin to solve most of our financial difficulties government corruption, and all the societal and assist every single family in having concerns we face. As we speak out to boost something to eat. A raise on a very low income, it appears that public authorities are minimum wage has the effect of turning blind and deaf to the cries of the protecting employees and their families people, making it impossible to discern the from poverty. effects of this battle on the people.

MARIA RESSA, WINNER OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, RECEIVED ONE OF THE

Clooney Foundation for Justice's first Albie Awards By: Joanna A. Cabañas

For nearly two decades, George has been actively involved in establishing accountability for genocide and other atrocities committed in Africa and elsewhere. He led a successful boycott of nine Bruneian hotels in 2019 in response to the country's efforts to impose the death penalty for homosexuality. January Edition | 2023

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FEATURE He is in a unique position and is able to motivate people to support human rights issues. Over the course of his career, he has also raised hundreds of millions of dollars for causes like the victims of the Haiti earthquake, the Indonesian tsunami, and 9/11. The two-time PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive and two-time Academy Awards winner is married to Amal Clooney.

On the other hand, Amal Clooney is a wellknown human rights lawyer and professor of law who has spent the past 20 years consistently defending victims of injustice. She represents clients in international courts like the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and the European Court of Human Rights. The TrialWatch program at Clooney Foundation for Justice is an extension of her work defending political prisoners. Her record of securing the release of journalists who had been wrongfully imprisoned all over the world is unparalleled. Throughout her career, Amal has represented genocide victims and survivors, particularly women and girls. She is also a visiting professor at Columbia Law School and the author of "The Leading Treatise on Fair Trials Around the World." January Edition | 2023

Scripturient The Clooney Foundation for Justice, established by George and Amal Clooney, provides free legal assistance to victims of human rights violations worldwide. It currently operates in over forty nations, and its goal is always the same: to try to bring those who are being persecuted to justice. The two put a lot of their efforts and time into seeking justice. They wanted to establish a foundation that might try to change the fact that no justice system can respond to mass killings and abuse. As a result, they gather and evaluate evidence of war crimes, present it to prosecutors, and then represent survivors in court. The Foundation's goal is to continue the fight long after the spotlight has dimmed. "We have five year old twins, and it occurs to us that someday, in the not too distant future, they’re going to read about recent history and they’re going to ask us, is it true that they wanted to execute people in Brunei for being gay? That yazidi girls were enslaved and raped in broad daylight? Is it true that journalists were being shot and imprisoned just for doing their job? And when we say yes, their next question will be, what did you do about it? And it’s the answer to that question that drives us every day." For many of the causes we take on, it can be years before we see a clear path to justice – but the Clooney Foundation for Justice continues to work on issues that have long faded from the headlines. Amal Clooney and George Clooney At The Clooney Foundation for Justice's Albie Awards, Maria Ressa, a Filipino journalist and co-founder of Rappler, received the Justice for Journalists award. page 18

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Amal Clooney currently represents journalist Maria Ressa, Founder of Rappler, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 as she fights charges of Cyber Libel in the Philippines. The Lifestyle Achievement Award was also given to Justice Albie Sachs, the founder of the Albie Awards. Albie dedicated his life to bringing an end to South African apartheid, but an assassination attempt cost him his right arm. The event was attended by a star-studded guest list, Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep, Oscar Isaac, Dua Lipa, Aloe Blacc, John Oliver, Julia Roberts, Nadia Murad, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Scialfa is among those who have agreed to attend the event and speak out on behalf of the honorees.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

The Marlika Investment Funds Bill By: Carlo A. Dalope

Despite having a several backlashes from the citizens of the Philippines of its first versions, The Maharlika Investment Fund was pushed through its final reading on Dec 16, 2022. Some might have been wondering why this bill receives so much hate, here are the things you need to know about the bill. January Edition | 2023

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FEATURE The Maharlika Wealth Fund is a proposed sovereign wealth fund for the Philippines. The government will use the Maharlika fund to invest in important markets including foreign exchange, local and international corporate bonds, commercial real estate, and infrastructure projects to assist finance the nation's top priorities. This is a pattern of Sovereign Wealth Funds of several other nations including Hong Kong, South Korea, China, Malaysia, and Singapore. It was proposed by seven lawmakers including Martin Romualdez and Sandro Marcos in the Philippine House of Representatives in late November of 2022, it had earned a solid support of 90 percent or 282 out of 312 members of the chamber.

Scripturient Where will the Government source its funds? The first version of the bill includes sourcing pension funds from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) as a seed capital of the SWF, depending on the respective agencies’ board of directors. But after clarifying the house bill source funds in the recent version, the initial capital will be sourced from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with a hundred percent dividends, as well as the GFIs; Land Bank of the Philippines with 50 billion pesos, and the Development Bank of the Philippines with 25 billion pesos, and according to the House Bill No. 6608 they will also be eligible for "prudential and regulatory reliefs" to safeguard their financial health, as well as the ability to increase their investments above the statutory contribution. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and other state-owned gaming companies' gross revenue streams, will also contribute annually in the future.

Despite earning a solid 90 percent of support from the House of “The proposed sovereign wealth fund will Representatives, only six members of it help President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. keep voted against the MIFs, and they are the country on the high-growth path. We Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene want to assure the public that the Brosas, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. management of the fund will follow best France Castro, Camarines Sur 3rd District practices and the principles of transparency and accountability,” –the co- Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr., Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, Basilan Rep. Mujiv author and speaker Martin Romualdez said during the deliberations of the bill. Hataman, and Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman, but why so?

January Edition | 2023

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FEATURE

Scripturient Those who commit shall be fined up to 5 million Philippine Peso and imprisonment up to 20 years. According to the experts, the house bill was a great idea to innovate the nation, but people are worried about the personalities that would handle the bill. "'Yung source of corruption is not the system itself but more of the personalities kaya kailangan very careful tayo dun sa pagpili ng team" Carlos Manapat warned. Some experts also suggest there should be several consultations to the provisions for it to be pushed through.

On December 15, The House Bill 6608 passed through the lower chamber after being designated as urgent by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., those who voted against the MIFs described that the country isn’t prepared for its seed capital and that there aren’t enough safeguards to prevent MIFs misuse.

What also seems sketchy is the fact that the President along with his Delegation Lists flew to Switzerland to the WEF in Davos in a jet plane; considering the fact that Filipinos are now facing rising prices of basic commodities in the Philippines. To discuss to WEF the economic plans of the president including the discussion of And because the bill was filed only on Nov 28, the SWFs which is the Maharlika that it took only 18 calendar days to give their Investment Funds. final approval seems sketchy. Also, one of the reasons why they are against this House Bill is because the Philippines already faces a national debt reaching 13.64 trillion Philippine pesos, they are finding this bill as not the right time to push through considering this Big national debt that taxpayers will pay throughout centuries. According to Camarines Sur Third District Rep. Gabriel Bordado, “our country cannot implement the Maharlika Investment Fund”. On the recent penal provision of the House Bill No. 6608, there are higher penalties to be imposed against those who commit fraudulent acts that’s related to the fund. January Edition | 2023

“The real enemies are those who keep their eyes closed in a situation that need them wide-opened” page 21

FEATURE

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WHAT GEN Z THINKS OF POLITICS?

How Gen Z impacted e l e c t i o n s By: Hannah Kristine F. Enriquez

People perceived that Generation Z is the Generation that is “born with their eyes open”. One cannot fool us, for we are thirsty for justice and good governance. Politics is something that should be taken seriously because the people that will be given the authority and power in the government are the ones responsible for the betterment of our society. “Fact check ang isa sa mga mahahalagang sandata pagdating sa pagboto, nasa sayo yan kung magpapadala ka sa matatamis at too good to be true na mga pangako ng kandidatong napupusuan mo”, said by Jeremy Dylan Abaygar, a 19-year-old college student and a registered voter since 2021.

Above all, Social media platforms also play a large role with how Gen Z’s changed the recent election. Social Media is accessible everywhere that makes it convenient for us to be aware of various societal issues spreading across the internet. With the use of social media accounts, we started to influence other people who use these platforms on how to be good voters. It is also an effective way to educate individuals about the significance of fact-checking and searching for a candidate with a clean track record. Since these platforms have huge coverage of information, Generation Z became more interested and eager to represent their chosen candidate in the last 2022 election. Most importantly, us Gen Z’s are known as the digital natives for a reason. We know how to use and manipulate modern technology and that includes social media, we can determine whether a source of a certain article/ topic is credible or not. Call us internet wizards, for you cannot deceive us when it comes to using modern technology and fact checking. January Edition | 2023

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