Ambassador [Henry] Byroade has just called me by telephone to tell me that his information is to the effect that “we may wake up tomorrow with bad news about sugar.” Some members of the committee in the US Senate (Finance under Sen. Russell Long) have come up
Official Gazette for July 13, 1971: President Marcos issued an administrative order creating a committee to study the problem of excess workers in the sugar plantations throughout the country and how to resettle and rehabilitate them. The President issued the order upon the recommendation of Secretary of Labor Blas F. Ople who informed him of the recent strike against five sugar haciendas in Bais City, Negros Oriental, which was the result of the displacement of some 264 Dumaan families. The displaced families represented the excess workers of the haciendas. In his order, the President took special cognizance of the plight of the sugar plantation workers affected by the labor dispute in Bais City.
Earlier, the President thanked local rancher, Engr. Virgilio V. Dionisio of Pulilan, Bulacan, who donated 207 head of cattle to the food production drive of the government and the Green Revolution project of the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, for his interest and concern in the common welfare. The donation, he said would greatly boost the government’s food production program. The President also thanked the Republic of China for its donation of fruit and vegetable seeds to the Philippines, more particularly to the Green Revolution project of the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos.The initial shipment of 75 kilos of improved fruit and vegetable seed varieties was presented to the First Couple by Taipei’s Foreign Minister Chou-Shu-Kai at a simple ceremony in Malacañang. Minister Chou, who arrived in Manila for the Asian and Pacific Council (ASPAC) ministerial meeting, paid a courtesy call on the President earlier in the morning. The seeds turned over by Minister Chou to the First Couple include those of Pai Chung Welsh onion, Ta-tong sweet pepper, tomato, radish, hot pepper, Taiwan Early Yehsen cabbage and petsay.
with a formula that would have all suppliers pegged to the average of their deliveries in the past five years (since 1966). This would mean another cut in our quota of an additional ten percent. We stand to lose another $30 million for a total of about $60 million.
This loss added to the loss of our prices in logs (about $30 million) will certainly, cause serious imbalance in our international payments.
I am shocked at the insensitivity of the American members of Congress to our plight. It looks like they may be retaliating for the lowering of the price of oil products which affects the leaders of Sen. Russell Long of Louisiana.
I am sure there will be a hue and cry about the cut on the sugar quota. There may even be demands for the abrogation of the military bases pact. We hear it even now.
America will keep on losing its real friends. Even I, who is prejudiced for her feel that she does not wish to keep her friends.
Met Foreign Minister Chou Shu-Kai of Nationalist China on the Spratley Island question and the entry of Red China into the UN [United Nations] from 10:00 to 10:45 AM. We agreed that we would settle the question of the Spratley Islands by quiet diplomatic negotiations.
And while he was agitated by the question of the entry of Red China into the UN, vigorously gesticulating that Red China would not get the votes, he seemed resigned that the proposal of two Chinas would be approved—“but this will not come from us,” he said.
Then I met Japanese Foreign Minister Kiichi Aichi, also the leader of their delegation to ASPAC [Asian and Pacific Council], on the $65 [million] loan to the Philippines which he assured me the political leadership would give as they have decided to do so although there may be some beauracratic [sic] obstacle and delays, and on the published Japanese proposal for the two Chinas to be members of the UN.
While he denied that they had come to a decision on the Chinese problem, he informed me that his government could not agree to the exclusion of Nationalist China from the UN.
“I hope that the Philippines will join us in the solution that may be acceptable,” he said.
“We hope that you will exchange information and observations with us,” I countered.
Apparently they are for a two China policy or dual representation.
A few minutes ago (about 11:00 PM) Ambassador Byroade called up again to say that Ass. Sec. [John] Irwin [II] of the State Dept. was now before the Long Committee and that he (Amb. Byroade) had now some hope that we would still be able to get a better deal.
“I wanted you to know that the executive department, at least, is doing everything to help you,” he added.
I have also called up Amb. [Ernesto] Lagdameo to go and see Senate Majority Floor Leader [Michael] Mansfield. I cannot get in touch with Kokoy [Benjamin Romualdez]. He does not seem to be in his room in the Shoreham in Washington.