Cabinet meeting with Congressional leaders, civic groups, religious leaders, private contractors, agriculturists etc. at 10:00 AM.
Official Gazette for August 5, 1972: THE PRESIDENT made a nationwide radio-television report to the nation, even as he called on the entire Filipino citizenry to take an active individual share in the reconstruction of the country.
Pointing out that government would not be able to do the job of reconstruction and rehabilitation alone, he appealed to the citizenry “to now take it upon yourselves to participate in this rebuilding program. Let it be a program of love, let it be a program of work, manual work, if necessary. Let every man pick up a shovel or fork or any instrument of work and participate-in the effort to rebuild our country once again,”
Earlier in the evening, the President had a three-hour meeting with the Cabinet, leaders of Congress, and representatives of all sectors, including religious and civic leaders, media, loggers, producers and contractors.
During the meeting, the President gave the go-signal for the implementation of the national reconstruction and rehabilitation program after being assured that there were available funds for the purpose.
The President also ordered:
(1) Implementation of the plan to set up a “green belt” around Manila.
(2) Priority be given in the distribution of relief goods to the towns bordering Candaba swamp, which were the hardest hit.
(3) The assignment of army pilots to fly the three government rain-making planes to Davao and Cotabato.
(4) The Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources to remind the Fertilizer Institute of its” pledge to lower the cost of fertilizers after its loans had been restructured by the Philippine National Bank.
(5) Budget Commissioner Faustino Sy-Changco to release immediately P8 million to the Department of Health, Fl million to the Presidential Arm on Community Development, and F50,000 to the Department of Education.
(6) The Development Bank of the Philippines and Highways Commissioner Baltazar Aquino to study the linkage system in connection with the need for cement in the reconstruction program.
(7) The increase of forest guards from 900 to 4,000.
(8) The continued suspension of classes for another week in the Greater Manila area, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija, and the towns of Hagonoy, Paombong and Calumpit, Bulacan, on recommendation of acting Education Secretary Narciso Albarracin.
Among those present at the meeting were Senate President Gil J. Puyat, Speaker Gornelio T. Villareal, Senate President Protempore Jose J. Roy, Speaker Protempore Jose Aldeguer, Senate Majority Floor Leader Arturo M. Tolentino, House Majority Floor Leader Marcelino Veloso;
Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo, Finance Secretary Cesar E. A. Virata, Health Secretary Clemente Gatmaitan, Justice Secretary Vicente Abad Santos, Labor Secretary Bias F. Ople, Agriculture Secretary Arturo R. Tanco, Jr., Social Welfare Secretary Estefania Aldaba-Lim, Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella, Press Secretary Francisco S. Tatad, Budget Commissioner Faustino Sy-Changco, Assistant Executive Secretary Roberto V. Reyes, Acting Education Secretary Narciso Albarracin; General Services Secretary Constancio Castaneda;
Chairman Gerardo Sicat of the National Economic Council; Chairman Eliseo Villamor of the Rice and Corn Administration; Director-General Apolinario Orosa of the Presidential Economic Staff; Chairman Florencio Medina of the National Science Development Board; Governor Gregorio Licaros of the Central Bank; SSS Administrator Gilberto Teodoro, GSIS General Manager Roman Cruz, Jr., OEC Administrator Eduardo Rodriguez; P’NB President Eusebio Villatuya;
Senators Ambrosio Padilla and Helena Z. Benitez, Rep. Rogelio Tiglao of Pampanga, Mons. Mariano Gaviola, Jr., Florentino Cayco, representing the fishing industry; Eduardo Escobar and Felipe Cruz, representing private contractors; and Ady Sison, representing Alfredo Montelibano.
Then Press TV and Radio interview at 4:00 PM.
In both I emphasized:
- The estimate of damage to infrastructure of about P404 M is understated.
It is actually about P2 billion. - That there is no cash provided for by Congress even for the Calamity Fund.
- That to fund the almost P2 [billion] rehabilitation program we must draw on:
- Taxes · P516M.
- Borrowings local and foreign—Japanese Commodity Loan 1972 and 1973.
- Savings. The forcible savings from the budget of 10% will mean P500 M.
“And everybody must participate. Government cannot do it alone. Every man, woman and child must labor—manual labor if you will—but labor each one must if we are to survive.”
“Our friends will help us but only we ourselves can save our people and our country.”
“So let us go into the mud and the dirt and start working.”