Met the Vice President who just arrived and asked him to visit the farms of Central Luzon tomorrow to determine damage to crops. Gave instructions that the public lands, forest concessions, mining claims, and bases that are not being worked should be reverted to the government for re-award.
Then met those who wanted to run for the Constitutional Convention including [Consuelo] Chito Madrigal Vazquez.
Received the report of the legislative mission to Moscow, Congs. [Nicanor] Yñiguez and [Carmelo] Barbero. They strongly recommend trade relations and later diplomatic relations with Russia.
Met the congressional leaders in caucus at the penthouse of the senate president where I took lunch. We discussed the gold subsidy bill, the banning of luxury imports, Nawasa [National Water and Sewerage Authority] and port works fund as well as the peace and order bill. It was a productive meeting.
Then worked on my papers and later a conference on the decentralization of powers of the President.
Official Gazette for September 8, 1970: President Marcos was kept busy by state business and callers during most of the morning in Malacañang, as well as outside when later he drove out to attend a caucus of leaders called by Senate President’ Gil J. Puyat, president of the Nacionalista Party.
Leading the callers at Malacañang in the morning was Vice President Fernando Lopez, who has just returned from a conference on Asian productivity in Japan. Vice President Lopez was accompanied by members of the Philippine delegation to the conference. A chairman, he submitted his report on the meeting to the President. Accompanying Lopez were Director-General Placido Mapa, Jr. of the Presidential Economic Staff and Jose T. Pardo. During the call, the President asked Vice President Lopez to make a survey of the toll the floods took in Central Luzon and determine how the government could speedily help those who suffered heavy losses.
Also just back from abroad were Reps. Carmelo Barbero and Nicanor Yñiguez, who called on the President to report on their trip. The two representatives visited Soviet Russia and Czechoslovakia where they looked into the business climate and the possibility of trade ties with the Philippines. Except for the meeting of NP leaders, the President spent the rest of his working day close to his desk, studying reports and acting on other official business. Among other actions, the President:
1. Directed Secretary of Health Amadeo H. Cruz to set aside that portion of the Tala Estate needed for a hospital and housing site for Home Sites. The President further directed the health secretary to turn over to the National Housing Corporation and the People’s Home Site and Housing Corporation the remaining area of the estate for development as a low-cost housing area. 2. Instructed Secretary of Social Welfare Gregorio Feliciano to prepare a legislative proposal which would require business entities employing 1,000 or more workers to include in their work force handicapped individuals who possess special skills. 3. Directed Gen. Gaudencio Tobias (ret.), NHC chairman, and PHHC General Manager Sebastian Santiago to integrate in their development of the Tala area the combined requests for housing of the blind and the handicapped.
Imelda, according to UPI [United Press Internationa] is “overwhelmed” by the reception given her in London. She was met by Lord Westmorland [David Fane], one of Queen Elizabeth’s gentlemen-in-waiting, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth affairs as well as former Ambassador to the Philippines John Mansfield Addis. She is the guest of the British government during her stay in England.