The Constitutional Convention by a vote of 117 by 102 ____ to invite me to speak at the opening ceremony. I attach the report of Jake on it. Dr. Ciceron Calderon had told me the preparatory committee would seek a vote on the question. Rather tight vote, but I had said that I would not attend and _____ to seek the help of anyone.
Awarded the Golden Heart to Dr. Clark Bloom of the Ford Foundation this morning.
Worked on the agricultural policies with Sec. [Arturo] Tanco [Jr.] and Usec. [Jose] Drilon [Jr.]. I directed that in the southern islands as well as the island of Luzon, we must establish permanent forests where forest concessioners ______ not be directed as they are now to allow their ______ to whom are given the permit to cut down trees in alienable and disposable land.
Then I [directed] Dir. [Juan] Mariano of the Bureau of Soils to finish the soil map of the Philippines so that I can tell whatever town I may be checking what kind of soil there is, the fertilizer needed, the plants recommended to be produced.
I also directed the Lingayen shoreline from subject to private rights if any, to be surveyed and I have declared the area as communal fishing ground.
I have directed the director of Animal Industry (Dir. Pedro Refuerzo) to report on the propagation of our new breed of miracle chicken which lays 300 or more eggs a year. Most chickens lay a little over 200 eggs a year.
In the afternoon I met Adm. [John] McCain [Jr.] C in C, PAC [Commander in Chief,
Official Gazette for May 28, 1971: President Marcos conferred the Golden Heart Presidential Award on Dr. Clark Bloom, resident representative in the Philippines of the Ford Foundation. The President presented the award in recognition of Dr. Bloom’s, distinguished service to the Philippines and the Filipino people, particularly in strengthening Philippine institutions relating to development in essential areas like agriculture and education.
Present at the conferment ceremony were Mrs. Bloom, Dr. Arthur Hill, Dr. David Szanton and Silvestre Sarmiento.
In the afternoon, the President was honored with a parade and review by the Presidential Guard Battalion in a ceremony held at Malacañang Park, commemorating the 33rd anniversary of its founding.
Addressing the officers and men of the organization, the President pointed out that the “unsettled character of our times pose dangers to our democracy.” This present crisis, the President stated, would require those in the military and those in the government, to exercise the “ability to keep events from getting ahead of us and to keep the ship of state from sinking in the eye of the typhoon.”
The President stressed the difficulty of the task, saying that government response, if it is to be truly reflective of democracy, must never “trample on the bedrock of freedom—civil liberties.”
He continued: “Our response must be tempered with caution even in dealing with those who are sworn to bring down the government.” The President was introduced by Brig. Gen. Fabian C. Ver, PGB commander.
Present at the rites were Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce ‘v Enrile, Undersecretary Jose F. Crisol, AFP Chief of Staff General Manuel Yan, heads of the major services of the armed forces, families and friends of the members of the PGB.
Pacific Command] who had aired his doubts as to whether it was not possible that we, the Filipinos, would not give the Russians military bases. I assured him that there was no fear about it.
Adm. McCain is here on the Mutual Defense Board of the U.S. and the Phil. meetings. His son, a combat pilot, was shot down some time ago, and is in prison within North Vietnam.
Tonight, as we were discussing the news that the Russians have anchored big buoys in the oceans to which submarine tenders can catch on and thus have a mid-ocean port for their ships, I had occasion to explain to Imelda what we have done for our country.
We have reduced the length of the lease of the bases from 99 years to 25 years.
We have reduced the area of the bases.
We are getting Sangley P[oin]t. back.
We got back 10,000 hectares of Clark Air Force Base.
We got back 400 hectares of Camp John Hay.
We are now negotiating the military bases.
And we are negotiating the Laurel-Langley Agreement.
There is one buoy of the Russians marked USSR [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics] 300 miles east of the Philippines, possibly within Philippine waters. I must direct an investigation of this so we can file a protest.