Speaker reacts to favorable survey on Maharlika fund
House Speaker Martin Romualdez has expressed elation over the results of a mobile-based survey, which showed that over half of Filipinos who were aware of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) were in favor of it.
“We are happy with the survey, which to us means that we are on the right track in advocating the establishment of this sovereign wealth fund, which is intended to benefit future generations of Filipinos,” Romualdez, a prime movers of the measure, said in a statement Monday, Dec. 19.
The Leyte 1st congressman was referring to the poll conducted by data research firm Tangere last Dec. 8 to 10. This was roughly a week before the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading the MIF, embodied in House Bill (HB) No.6608.
“It shows that our advocacy has the support not just of major business groups but of the general population as well,” Romualdez noted.
The Tangere mobile poll had 2,400 respondents: 12 percent of these are from Metro Manila, 23 percent from North and Central Luzon, 22 percent from South Luzon, 20 percent from Visayas, and 23 percent from Mindanao. It had a margin of error of 2.191 percent.
According to Martin Peñaflor, Tangere chief executive officer and founder, a total of 2,010 or 83.75 percent of the 2,400 respondents were aware of the MIF Bill.
He said that among the respondents who are aware, an accumulated 54.08 percent either strongly supported (21.84 percent) or somewhat supported (32.24 percent) the bill’s passage into law.
Meanwhile, 21.34 percent were neutral and 24.58 percent either somewhat or strongly opposed the measure.
Peñaflor said half of those aware of the MIF Bill either strongly believed (22.39 percent) or somewhat believed (27.01 percent) that the establishment of the MIF could be safeguarded from corruption.
Some 65.47 percent were of the opinion that the MIF's creation was timely, 56.67 percent expressed the view that it would help the economy grow, and 57.86 percent strongly or somewhat believed that the fund would finance government projects, he added.
Peñaflor pointed out that 73.14 percent “also believe that the government should be coming up with creative sources of revenue, other than raising or requiring additional taxes".
Romualdez is the principal author of HB No.6608, which seeks to establish the MIF. It hurdled the House last Dec. 15 during the last session day of the year.