MANILA, Philippines -Positibo si House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez na bubuhos ang Japanese investments sa Pilipinas pagkatapos ng pagdalaw ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos sa naturang bansa.
“I think he’s thrilled. In fact I think he’s overwhelmed because there’s just this—I don’t know what’s the word—parang me tsunami ng interest; not just interest but commitments, not just from existing Japanese investors and businesses but even new ones.”
Ayon sa mambabatas, naging positibo ang tugon ng Japanese government at mga negosyanteng hapon na higit pa sa inaasahan ng pangulo.
“So I don’t see why we won’t be getting a deluge—or kumbaga tsunami talaga—of investments and expansion of business opportunities.”
Paliwanag ni Romualdez na ang pagbuhos ng investment sa bansa ay nangangahulugan ng bagong kapital, bagong negosyo at trabaho para sa mga Pilipino.
Isa sa tinukoy ng kongresista ay ang nabuong partnership ng isang Japanese firm sa Aboitiz na hindi lamang magdadala ng mga bagong teknolohiya sa bansa para sa maaaring pagmula ng enerhiya kundi handa rin itong mag-invest ng tinatayang kalahating bilyong dolyar sa energy sector.
“So that’s just like one company. Can you imagine how many companies we engaged? We engaged literally hundreds,” dagdag pa ni Romualdez.
Samantala, nagbigay katiyakan naman ang isang top executive ng nangungunang Japanese financial institution na Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JIBC) sa delegasyon ng Pilipinas na may malaking potensyal ang itatatag na sovereign wealth fund sa bansa.
Ayon kay Romualdez ay personal siyang nilapitan ni Governor Tadashi Maeda ng JBIC at ibinigay ang buong suporta nito sa planong Maharlika Investment Fund ng bansa.
“I don’t know if you heard of the JB, it’s like the equivalent of the Central Bank, you know the JB ng Japan. So, the Chairman si Tadashi Maeda. He says that you know “Speaker, I helped create the Indonesian and supported the Indonesian Sovereign Wealth Fund, which was started in 2021. I’m here and I will support your Maharlika.”
Ibinahagi pa aniya ni Maeda na nang umpisahan ang sovereign wealth fund ng Indonesia ay mayroon lamang itong $1 billion na kapital, ngunit sa loob lamang ng labinwalaong buwan ay lumago ng $25 billon ang halaga.
“He himself says, the Indonesian Wealth Fund it’s called INA, started up with only a billion dollars, and in less than 18 months, it’s over 25 billion worth na, lumaki. And so he says that the growth potential in the Philippines is potentially higher.” ayon spa rin kay Romualdez.
Una nang inihayag ni Romualdez na humatak ng foreign investment ang sovereign wealth fund dahil sa ang mga nagpapatakbo nito ay eksperto sa finance, trade at banking kaya’t siguradong secure ang inilagak na puhunan.
“Usually a sovereign wealth fund, you know attracts, a lot of foreign capital because those who are running the sovereign wealth fund are experts, you know, in the fields of finance, trade, banking. Known for their probity, and you know their integrity and that they will just invest it so properly and secure na secure ka diyan.” dagdag ni Romualdez. Meliza Maluntag
