OG November 21, 1970: President Marcos issued a series of directives to speed up the rehabilitation of the typhoon victims, particularly in the Greater Manila area.
In a nationwide radio-television message broadcast from the President’s study in Malacañang in the evening, the President:
1. Ordered a week-long suspension of classes, from Monday to Saturday, in both private and public schools, adding that the situation will be reassessed thereafter. 2. Directed the implementation of a six-hour working day in all government offices, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily without lunch break, and a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday, in the Greater Manila area. 3. Ordered the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System to give priority to the typhoon victims in the matter of loans and financing in order to repair their homes. 4. Asked all banks to be opened in order to allow government paymasters to draw money with which to pay the salaries of workers who had not received their pay for the week. 5. Suggested that industries and business scheduled to grant Christmas bonuses to their workers and employees should do so sooner.
The President said he would meet with leaders of Congress Sunday or Monday to study the augmentation of the calamity fund without congressional action, or if necessary, to call a special session.
He said this was necessary in view of the fact that the calamity fund authorized by the General Appropriations Act had been badly depleted by the successive calamities which hit the country.
The President also ordered steps taken immediately to relieve the acute water shortage caused by the power cut-off in the greater Manila area due to the damage to power lines wrought by typhoon “Yoling.”To arrest the shortage, the President directed the National Power Corporation, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the MERALCO officials that generators be installed at NAWASA pumping stations immediately, or that power lines be thrown from the source of electric current to the pumping stations so that they can resume operations.
Earlier in the day, the President bade farewell to Gen. and Madame Ne Win, who ended their four-day state visit to the Philippines at noon, when they departed for Rangoon. The President and the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, had breakfast with their distinguished house guests, the last get-together with the Ne Wins.
Later the President and the General had a formal, conversation on common problems facing the two countries and. on matters important to the development of closer cooperation, and understanding among countries of the Asian region.The President thanked General Ne Win and the people of Burma for their “kind message of sympathy over the tragic disaster” caused by typhoon “Yoling,” and for their generous assistance.
The government of Burma has sent a planeload of candles and medicine to Manila upon learning that the power lines had been knocked out and that there was a shortage of candles. The goods came on the plane which was sent by the Union of Burma Airways to fetch General Ne Win and his party from Manila. The President also conveyed the Filipino ^people’s “deep appreciation for the great honor bestowed upon the country” by General Ne Win’s visit, and his regret that the typhoon had interferred with the plans for making the visit memorable.
At about high noon, the President and the First Lady escorted their guests to the MIA, where full honors were given them, and shortly afterward, the Burmese First Couple took off, with members of local officialdom, the diplomatic corps and other personages seeing them off.
On returning to Malacañang, the President concentrated on urgent matters, primarily the measures aimed at normalizing the situation in the Greater Manila area after the destructive visit of Typhoon Yoling.
In the afternoon the President resumed his inspection of the typhoon damage in the Greater Manila area. Leaving Malacañang at 4 p.m., the President motored slowly through San Juan, Rizal, Sta. Mesa and Cubao in Quezon City, Marikina and San Mateo, Rizal. From San Mateo, the President motored back to Manila, arriving in Malacañang at 6:15 in the evening. About an hour, later, the president went on radio and television to report among others, on the magnitude of the destruction caused by the typhoon, and to assure the people that the government would stand by them to the limits of its power and resources.
Received the reports of Nory Poblador and Nanoy [Potenciano] Ilusorio and Delfin Cueto on the blackmail of this Boehms [Dovie Beams] woman.
This has agitated Imelda who is out of sorts because of it.
Gen. and Mrs. Ne Win left at 1:00 PM. They were scheduled to leave at 12:00 PM but when he came to pay his farewell call on me we had such a long intimate and confidential conversation that it was 12:00 before we knew it.
I asked him what his policy was as to military and economic aid from the western countries and the communist world like Russia and China.
And we discussed this frankly. He pits the two powers against each other.
Russia—is actually run by the triumvirate of [Leonid] Brezhnev who leads, [Alexei] Kosygin and ______.
Red China—
U.S.—
Steel products—Japanese are not as advanced in metal control as the U.S. and Germans.
Stones and gems—He himself grades the standards. The Burmese second class.
Pearls—mercurochrome gives color to the pearls (gold—but the right percentage has to be determined).
Oil—Drilling equipment. Russians are competent but American drilling equipment is better.
Military bases and equipment—He buys them and will not accept anything free. But when he buys it is 1/30 of the cost.
He also appealed to all sectors of society to help in extending aid to typhoon victims, even as he served notice to opportunists, profiteers and hoarders, the looters and manipulators, that they would he hounded and prosecuted vigorously by the government,
During the day the Chief Executive also received the following message from Pope Paul VI:
“WITH PROFOUND SORROW WE HAVE LEARNED OF THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY A VIOLENT TYPHOON TO THE BELOVED COUNTRY WE ARE SOON TO VISIT STOP WE ASSURE YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THROUGH YOU THE FILIPINO PEOPLE OF OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY IN THIS TIME OF TRIAL AND OUR FERVENT PRAYERS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE DISASTER AND THEIR GRIEVING FAMILIES”
Ultimate situation in Asian mainland. If U.S. withdraws, all the countries in the mainland would become socialist but independent of China. Then there would be a break-up. And the communist world would be divided into competing states.
Gen. Ne Win is voluble when you can get him alone. He even checked the small and big rubies I bought Imelda when we were newly married and declared them genuine.