Kerima Patolan has just finished a story on the Brothers Lopez. It is not complete as to the properties bought specially abroad and the taxes unpaid.
I attach a letter of Father Jim (James Donelan, S.J.) who is our close friend.
The navy has occupied Thistu island in the Spratley Island group. This is the operation to get the Palawan shelf within our jurisdiction for petroleum exploration purposes. I attach the report of Capt. Ogbiniar the action and project officer.
PRESIDENT MARCOS pared down his schedule of callers to be able to concentrate more on state business.
He received only a group composed of 82 members of the provincial electric cooperatives team, who called to pay their respects following the conclusion of their 10-day seminar workshop on rural electrification in Los Baños, Laguna; Dr. Allan Kline of CARE, and S. Muhammad Ali former editor of the Bangkok Post, who interviewed the President.
In brief remarks before the cooperatives team members, the President underscored the role of cooperatives as “crucial and pivotal” to the economic development of the country.
The President stressed the need for the adoption of ingenious ways by which the people could bypass the obstacles of limited resources. Because the country is developing, he said, “we must meet the question or the problem of limited resources with a little more ingenuity, and cooperatives is one of them.”
The President pointed to the success of pilot farming cooperatives in Magalang, Pampanga and Llanera, Nueva Ecija as “fruits of the cooperatives program of the government today.”
Dr. Kline informed the President that the CARE has entered into an agreement with the Department of Education for the construction of 200 kitchens in elementary schools of La Union, which would prepare hot lunches for barrio school children.
Dr. Kline, who was accompanied to Malacañang by Undersecretary of Education Narciso B. Albarracin, showed the President the model of the kitchen which will cost P2,600 each. CARE has allocated ?75,000 funds for the purpose.
During the call, the President accepted the invitation of the CARE official to inaugurate one of the kitchens at Rosario, La Union on April 2.
The afternoon was devoted by the President to paper work, in the process issuing an executive order constituting the “Fund for Assistance to Students” and created a Students Assistance Committee, which will serve as the trustee of the fund.
The fund, amounting to $605,000.00, would come from the special fund for education authorized by United States Public Law 88-94, pursuant to a “Project Agreement” between the Philippines and the United States.
The fund was made available for educational purposes and activities of benefit to Philippine students.
The President also submitted to the Commission on Appointments for confirmation the nominations of the following to posts in the government:
1. Usman Manalundang, as city treasurer of Marawi City;
2. Agustin R. Ferrariz, as city superintendent of schools of General Santos City;
3. Gregorio E. Echavez, as municipal judge of Tagum, Davao del Norte; and
4. Rasidali C. Abdullah, as clerk of court in the Court of First Instance of Lanao del Sur, Bayang branch.
The afternoon was devoted by the President to official papers.
In the evening, the President and the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, attended the reception tendered in honor of Brig. Gen. Fabian Ver by the Sarrateños at the Manila Hotel.
Ver’s nomination as brigadier general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines was confirmed, and the reception was held to honor him.
Hadji Tamasil reports communist activities supported by a foreign government (Sabah Malaysia) in Sulu.
Met Dr. A. Kline of Care on the hot food dispensing program, in grade schools. They start in La Union with 100 projects. The barrio people furnish the construction cost free (self-help) and Care furnishes the materials of the building worth P2,600. The food is supplied by the barrio but protein elements come from Care.
Then met the trainees on rural electric cooperatives and gave them a rousing speech on how our only alternative to violent revolution is the democratic revolution.
Interview by Mr. Ali of The Nation of Singapore.
Then played golf at 3:30 PM at Manila Golf after working on some appointments.
The Mexican experience as reported points to the lesson that the best defense against communism is a good democratic government. But the politicians keep on blocking good government—specially the Senate. And the media will not allow the good that is being done to be known by the people. They distort and falsify news to increase circulation. They headline nothing but crime.
The demonstrations and riots stop production and economic activity.
So before we can have a good government or before the people are convinced that we are setting up a good government, the three factors must be solved—the media, the politicians and the demonstrators. And there is possibly no way of solving these questions except by a take-over of the government if there should be massive sabotage or anarchy which would be part of the rebellion.
And we can expect this as Mao Tse Tung has again repeated that the proletariat cannot win except by the gun and by violence. I expect some riot soon.