This is my 16th Wedding Anniversary. Mass at 7:00 AM.
But the children had a surprise for us. They barged into our room shouting like demonstrators dressed up like radicals with head bands and Molotov cocktails (actually dry ice in water in 7-Up bottles, smoking like some activated bomb). They carried placards like—“Demonstrations by the atrocious products of this happy union.”
At the side door they had all their pets, the dogs including old Blacky my old pet German shepherd in San Juan and young Urduja—Button the small Shetland pony, Snow White and the Ilocano sheep.
Breakfast—then met with Mr. Aquino, the head of UN [United Naitions] FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] with Mr. Joseph to whom I have given a plaque as he is leaving for Rome, and Dr. Faronki. They are giving us millions of dollars worth of food for our big impact projects, Nutritional program in Medicare, the Pantabangan as well as others like Candaba fishponds and reclamation.
Signed the Stabilization tax bill at 12:00 AM. Then met the labor leaders. Delivered my Labor Day speech over television and radio on the State Dining Room.
Official Gazette for May 1, 1970: President Marcos followed a full schedule of official activities. It being Labor Day, the President’s schedule was highlighted by a luncheon at Malacañang with labor leaders. Addressing the labor leaders, the President said his administration will continue to exert great effort so that the common workingman will live in comparative health, efficiency and well-being.
May 1 also has a special significance for the First Couple—it was their 16th wedding anniversary. Early in the morning, the President and the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, heard Mass at the Malacañang Chapel. With them were their children Imee, Bongbong and Irene, the President’s mother, Mrs. Josefa Edralin Marcos, and other close relatives and friends. Following the Mass, the First Family repaired to the Palace dining room where they had breakfast with well-wishers. Then the President proceeded to his study and the First Lady to the music room, to attend to their respective schedules.
Among the President’s callers was a delegation of United Nations officials led by Francisco Aquino, executive director of the FAO World Food Programme; and General Mashudi, vice chairman of the Indonesian Consultative Council who called at Malacañang to pay his respects. At noon, the President signed into law H. No. 1105, imposing a stabilization tax on exports for a four-year period, as a means of accelerating economic development.
The Act imposes a 10 per cent levy on the gross F.O.B. peso proceeds of exports on logs, copra, centrifugal sugar, and copper ore and concentrates, and eight per cent on other export products, both levies to be phased out by two per cent annually up to June 30, 1974. Then the President and the First Lady went to the state dining hall where they had lunch with labor leaders and their ladies. Among other actions, the President forwarded to the Commission on Appointments for confirmation his 61 nominees to various posts. The nominees were previously given interim appointments and are now occupying their posts. (List of nominees in OG.)
Napped up to 5:00 PM from 4:00 PM. Then exercised with Imelda who later walked with me, Greg[orio] Licaros and [Roberto] Bobby Benedicto who both arrived later, in the golf course.
We have also been granted the $50 million stand-by loan from Japan. Next the restructuring of our foreign loans.