1:00 AM
February 28, 1972
We have just talked to the children by long distance. They seem to be standing up to the winter very well, coal strike, power strike and all notwithstanding. Bongbong has taken the career exams and he says that he has been told he did well and I will be written about his aptitude for physics, pure math and applied math in Oxford and Cambridge after three of four years.
It took us long (over an hour) because Imee insists on accepting the lead in the drama presentation “Anne Frank” of Drama Philippines headed by Zenaida Amador. Imelda objects because she thinks actresses are looked down upon in the Philippines. And that group is supposed to take pot.
We watched the Phil Golf open by TV (as we could not go to Surigao for the North Mindanao Athletic Meet) had a heavy lunch with my golf mates, then played golf up to 6:00 PM.
Won P20 on Sugumoto against Hsiad Yung Yo who came in second.
Discussed housing and reclamation with Tony Martel.
I will develop the idea of multipurpose cooperatives into the Tulong Bayan or Bayanihan Pambansa or Bayanihan sa Nayon.
The P150 million in the budget will be used for these Rural Cooperatives at the rate of P5,000 per barrio. There are about 33,000 barrios in the Philippines.
I attach the papers for today in Envelope No. XVI-C.
Official Gazette for February 27, 1972: Being a Sunday, the President engaged in a little deskwork on state papers.
The Chief Executive asked Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., to deliver a speech for him at the opening of the Northern Mindanao Athletic Meet in Surigao City.
The President announced through Secretary Melchor the start of a massive program of development for Mindanao, with the immediate establishment of moshav-type cooperatives as barrio project to be called Bayanihan ng Nayon.
The cooperatives will be responsible for the production of dairy products and such projects as fisheries, irrigation, cottage industries, truck gardening and other activities that will serve as the basic structure for the agro-industrial development of the entire country.
In line with all this, the President said the government was also drawing up a physical fitness program. “Physical fitness,” he said, “must engage us a permanent goal—a way of life in and beyond the athletic field.”
The Chief Executive, together with the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda P Marcos, heard Mess at the Malacañang chapel in the evening.