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Economist on 'wait-and-see' mode over Maharlika fund

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs Republic Act 11954 or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act in a ceremony at the Kalayaan Hall of Malacañan Palace in Manila on July 18, 2023. Rolando Mailo, NIB-PNA/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/07/21/20230718-marcos-maharlika-act-pna4432.jpg"/><figcaption>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs Republic Act 11954 or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act in a ceremony at the Kalayaan Hall of Malacañan Palace in Manila on July 18, 2023. <em>Rolando Mailo, NIB-PNA/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — It remains to be seen how the Maharlika Investment Fund will work, an economist said Tuesday, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in his 2nd State of the Nation Address that the P500-billion fund would be instrumental in his government&#x27;s infrastructure push.</p><p>&quot;He indeed mentioned that it will be used to fund a number of his key projects but beyond that, there was less detail,&quot; Victor Abola, the executive director of the Strategic Business Economics Program of the University of Asia and the Pacific, told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart.&quot; &quot;We&#x27;ll have to wait and see how it really works.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2733504" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>The government, Marcos said, currently has 194 major infrastructure projects, of which 123 are new. The President intends to keep infrastructure spending at 5 to 6 percent of the country&#x27;s gross domestic product.</p><p>Abola added that he has yet to see how the Maharlika fund will boost the economy and encourage foreign investments. &quot;I think we’ll have to see how it goes. It&#x27;s a new thing,&quot; he said.</p><p>Marcos signed the Maharlika law last week despite doubts and criticisms from many economists. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/07/24/23/maharlika-fund-to-play-big-role-in-marcos-p83-trillion-infra-push">#SONA2023: Maharlika fund to play big role in Marcos&#x27; P8.3-trillion infra push&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/07/18/23/marcos-signs-maharlika-investment-fund-bill-into-law">Marcos signs Maharlika Investment Fund bill into law</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/06/07/23/diokno-dismisses-maharlika-fund-criticism-from-up-school-of-economics">Diokno dismisses Maharlika Investment Fund criticism from UP School of Economics</a></li></ul><div><strong>— ANC, July 25, 2023</strong></div>

It remains to be seen how the Maharlika Investment Fund will work, an economist said.