Imelda has just left by PAL [Philippine Airlines] (7:30 PM) for London, on Monday to Madrid, then back to London and on to Moscow, back to London, although we have asked the possibility of her visiting Romania, Yugoslavia and Austria too.
Feeling lonely and wishing I could have been with her.
The Senate was agog with the privilege speech of Sen. [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.] to the effect that Imelda left for Peking last night and at 10:00 AM today was supposed to have crossed the border to Red China.
Official Gazette for March 3, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS as usual started the day going over state papers. In the process he issued an executive order revising the rates of toll fees being collected from motor vehicles passing through Kennon Road in Mountain Province.
The revision of toll rates was recommended by Secretary of Public Works and Communications David M. Consunji.
At about 9:30 in the morning, the President left his deskwork to attend a briefing on the reorganization plan conducted by Chairman Armand Fabella of the Reorganization Commission.
The important proposals in the reorganization plan included:
1) Reduction of agencies directly under the supervision of the Office of the President from 158 to 28, and the establishment of 11 uniform regional districts, and further providing for increased delegation of authority within the individual departments to effect greater decentralization of operations.
2) Merging of the National Economic Council and the Presidential Economic Staff into a National Economic Development Authority, and creating planning and programming units at various levels to facilitate preparation and execution of national development programs.
3) Creation of a Department of Local Government and Community Development to absorb the PACD, to improve further the interrelated process of development from the national to the local level.
The reorganization plan was submitted to Congress by the President after the one-hour briefing held at Malacañang.
The briefing was attended by Senator Ernesto Maceda, Secretaries Carlos P. Romulo of Foreign Affairs, Arturo R. Tanco, Jr., of Agriculture and Natural Resources, David M. Consunji of Public Works and Communications and Juan L. Manuel of Education, Administrator Eduardo Rodriguez of the Office of Economic Coordination; Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., Chairman Vicente Paterno of the Board of Investments and Undersecretary Manuel Collantes of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
After the briefing, the President met privately with Governor Aristeo Lecaroz and Rep. Francisco Lecaroz of Marinduque; Vice Governor Francisco Rabat and some municipal mayors from Davao del Norte who consulted with him problems of their respective constituencies.
The President then welcomed delegations from 10 nations participating in the Third World Men’s Softball Championship which was to be held at the Rodriguez Sports Center in Marikina, Rizal.
The participating teams was accompanied to Malacañang by Gov. Isidro Rodriguez of Rizal, president of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines and host in the tournament.
Early in the afternoon, the President motored to the Phil-Am Life building to view the car exhibits of the Philippine Automotive Association.
The President was accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos. Back at Malacañang hours later, the Chief Executive returned to his private study and resumed his interrupted deskwork, going over urgent state papers until late evening.
Every now and then the President disengaged from his deskwork to attend to some unexpected callers who consulted him on the problems of their respective offices.
So I brought her to the display of Progressive Car Manufacturing Project where she was covered by media.
I place the newspaper of today in Envelope No. XVI-F.
Finalized the reorganization bill in a conference in the morning before I went to the Phil-Am display.
Met some delegations specially the athletes to the World Softball Championship Tournament.