Official Gazette for August 13, 1970: President Marcos was guest of honor at the ceremonies launching National Language Week, held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, on Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.
Before and after that engagement, the President worked on state papers at his study in Malacañang, although frequently interrupted by visitors on his schedule of callers.
Among those he received was the group headed by Vice President Fernando Lopez, which will represent the Philippines at the Asian Productivity Congress, set to open in Tokyo on August 18. The group came for final instructions. With the Vice President were Chairman Gerardo Sicat of the National Economic Council, Director Jose Pardo of the Productivity Development Center, Director-General Placido Mapa, Jr. of the Presidential Economic Staff and, for the private sector, Julio Francia, president of the Philippine Chamber of Industries.
The next delegation to call was that composed of representatives of the NAWASA, WHO and the UNDP. The group called to submit to the President the master plan evolved by the three entities on the proper disposal of waste water in Manila and the neighboring areas. A joint project of the three agencies, the project calls for massive financing and organization. But it is a “must” undertaking. Those who called were Filemon Zablan and Brig. Gen. Sergio Isada (ret.), board chairman and general manager, respectively, of NAWASA; Dr. Francisco Dee, WHO regional director; Dr. Frank Go and Dr. William Harding of the UNDP.
Later in the morning, the President received Joseph Blatchford and John Shlaes of the US Peace Corps. Blatchford, who is the national director of the corps, was accompanied to Malacañang by US Ambassador Henry Byroade.
The President went to the Cultural Center at about 9 a.m., and in his speech, which was in Pilipino, he expressed the hope that a National Language Week will in the near future be no longer necessary as a way of promoting Pilipino, with the language already actively in use all over the country. The attainment of this goal,” he said, is the responsibility of all Filipinos, and the move toward that objectives should begin now. Noting that the Constitution called for the development of a common language, he recalled that the Charter declared that such “a language is most necessary and crucial for forging national unity and a common consciousness.”
In pursuance with, this policy, the administration, he said, has made several moves forward.
Among them: 1. Executive Order No. 96 directing the use of Pilipino in oathtaking ceremonies and in official stationary. 2. Memorandum Circular No. 277, which requires government officials and employees to participate in regional seminars conducted by the Institute of National Language. 3. Memorandum Circular No. 172, directing the translation into Pilipino of the names of government offices. 4. Executive Order No. 187 which directs the employment of Pilipino official correspondence whenever possible.
5. Memorandum Circular No. 386 which directs national and local governments to observe National Language Week with appropriate programs. He himself, the President said, has always welcomed diplomatic envoys in Pilipino, as do the members of the Philippine foreign service.
He was back in Malacañang at about 11 a.m., and. resumed his desk work, while also receiving visitors. One of the directives that he issued from his desk was for the release of the confiscated books, “Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse Tung,” but made clear that the decision will not be a precedent for similar cases in the future. The Postmaster General had earlier confiscated 49 copies of the book on the ground that they were communist propaganda materials. The President noted that the importation of written or printed matter through the mails is a free man’s right to information. The government, he said, fully supports this freedom.
However, the President pointed out that this freedom is not without qualification, citing Section 1954 (b) of the Revised Administrative Code. which provides, among others, that no “written or printed matter in any form containing scurrilous libels against the government of the Republic of the Philippines, or containing any statement which tends to disturb or obstract any lawful officer in executing his office or in performing his duty, or which tends to instigate others to cabal of meet together for unlawful purposes, or which suggests or incites rebellious conspiracies or tends to disturb the peace of the community or to stir-up
Could not sleep last night. Restless sleep from 3-6:30 AM only.
Have just had my face mask and hand mould in plaster of Paris by the young sculptor, [Florante] Caedo, son of the Dean of the College of Fine Arts of the U.P. [University of the Philippines] (also a sculptor). This was Imelda’s idea.
Met the head [the third Director] of the U.S. Peace Corps, [Joseph] Blatchford. Out of the original 700 members of the peace corps in the Philippines there are now only 220 and it will be built up to 330 by October. Families are volunteering together for the peace corps. They will be fielded in Iloilo and Isabela.
Then received the plan for a modern sewerage system from WHO [World Health Organization] and Nawasa [National Water and Sewerage Authority].
Spoke at the Linggo Ng Wika program at Cultural Center. But my voice broke in the middle of my speech and asked the [Institute of the National Language] Director (Dir. [Jose Villa] Panganiban) to read my speech for me.
Worked on Central Bank policies with Gov. Gregorio Licaros as there is a growing dissatisfaction with the Central Bank among the bankers and businessmen.
Then slept for 3 hours from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. Then attended to the pending papers.
[Jose] Joe Aspiras and Ben [Benjamin] del Rosario with Sol. Gen. [Felix] Antonio came over after Atty. Crispin Baizas.
the people against the lawful authorities . . . shall be imported into the Philippines through the mails, or be deposited in or carried by the mails of the Philippines, or be delivered to its addresses by any officer or employee of the Bureau of Posts.”
Anastacio T. Caedo (1907-1990) assistant to National Artist Guillermo Tolentino was professor of sculpture not Dean of the UP College of Fine Arts.