Official Gazette for February 4, 1973: PRESIDENT MARCOS issued a number of directives to the members of his cabinet to hasten the implementation of the provisions of the new Constitution, particularly those dealing with economic development. The President directed: 1) Secretary Conrado Estrella of Agrarian Reform to expedite the listing of big landed estates tagged as priority areas for possible initial execution of the President’s land reform decrees; 2) Secretary Juan L. Manuel of Education and Culture to submit the plans for the integration of alien schools within the framework provided for in the new Constitution, particularly Article XV, Section 8, Subsection 7; 3) Secretary Jose Roño of the Department of Local Governments and Community Development to authorize the holding of referendum, through the barangays and citizens assemblies, in any local area on matters affecting their welfare upon the petition of at least 20 per cent of the members; 4) Director Gregorio S. Cendaña of the National Media Production Center to submit a new organization plan for his agency which can carry out effectively a “grassroots information campaign” down to barrio level to attract further citizen participation in the effort to build a New Society; 5) Administrator Alfredo Juinio of the National Irrigation Administration to report on the construction stage of the administration’s Pantabangan project intended to irrigate a great portion of Central Luzon and to protect the region from the occurrence of seasonal floods; and 6) General Manager Sergio Isada of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System to explain the reasons for the continuing public complaint on low water pressure and to complete the repair of the busted water pipes which, are mainly responsible for low water supply in many areas in Greater Manila.
TWO MEMBERS of the President Marcos’ cabinet are scheduled to address the One-Asia Assembly, to be held in New Delhi, India, from February 5 to February 8. They are Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor Jr. and Secretary of Information Francisco S. Tatad. The executive secretary will talk on human resources, while the secretary of Information will discuss the role of the press under the New Society.
“CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY is a national virtue in our people which in recent years had been more in the mouths of the politicians than in the hearts of the average Filipino, more thought about rather than acted on. But the citizens assemblies have changed this. Filipinos now become more and more conscious of their responsibilities because they now realize that they have a part in the government, that they have a voice in it too. Because of these citizens assemblies, we now have a more responsible citizenry aware of its role in the achievement of national aspiration. It is this virtue which holds the key to our achievement of the national destiny.”
SOME 700,000 needy persons throughout the country found the last six months of 1972 to be exceptionally good. It was a period when they engaged in better jobs which meant additional income for them and their families. This was made possible through the socio-economic advancement program initiated by the Department of Social Welfare which, from July to December 1972, generated some P31 million in terms of much needed income for 713,013 needy persons who are either unemployed youths, disabled persons or heads of families with low income. These needy persons started out on income-producing projects such as livestock raising and vegetable gardening with capital assistance given by citizens collaborating with the department. Under the terms of the socio-economic advancement program, the capital in the form of non-interest loan, is supposed to be paid back by the receivers once their projects prove successful.
DETERIORATION OF RURAL life and the movement of the population from the agricultural areas to the urban centers, are drawing top priority attention in the programs of the government.
Rony V. Diaz, director general of the National Manpower and Youth Council said that the rural sector holds the promise of providing the large masses of our people a more meaningful and abundant life, considering that 70 per cent of our population resides in this area and 57.7 per cent of total employment is in agriculture. The NMYC has developed, hand in hand with its industrial skills program, several agricultural skills training schemes which envision the development of a strong agricultural mass base to supply the raw material needs of the industrial sectors.
HEAVY TECHNICAL and material assistance to farmers and other rural people was provided by the Bureau of Agricultural Extension last year. The technical assistance consisted mainly of teaching farmers new farming methods, introducing high-yielding varieties of crops, and helping farmers utilize their agricultural loans properly. When floods hit Central Luzon in July, the BAE shifted its assistance program to the nine worst–hit provinces of Pangasinan, Laguna, Pampanga, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte
Spent the whole day working on my papers as I could not leave the Palace waiting for the notice on the Prisoners of War and the plans for their reception.
In the meantime I worked on the rebels to surrender efforts by Mayor Climaco and Cong. [Indanan] Anni in Basilan and Sulu holding back military operations in Basilan at least until after the second contact with the rebels on Feb. 5th (tomorrow) and directed SOWESCOM [Southwesst Command] to furnish Cong. Anni a PFC [sic] [Patrol Craft Fast (PCF)] and other transport to reach Tawi-Tawi as he has apparently contacted the rebels in Luuk and Kambing, Jolo.
Then organized the materials prepared by Gen. [Fabian] Ver on the efforts of Sabah Chief
Minister [Tun] Mustafa to promote and support the secessionist movement in Sulu and Mindanao including the training camps.
Reviewed the Operation Plan for the Defense of Southern Philippines. Noted deficiencies.
Scanned Maj. Gen. [Charles] Willoughby’s book “The Guerilla Resistance Movement in the Philippines.” It is the reprint of documents in the SWA [Southwest Pacific Area] G-2 [General Staff Level office for Military Intelligence]. It is the view of the resistance movement from headquarters.
where it distributed 47 farm tractors, 254 irrigation pumps and 1,244 sprayers for pests control and crop diseases. These material aids benefited 76,996 farmers. The BAE also organized 2,900 farmers’ associations with 18,300 members, and 4,654 4–H clubs with 102,256 members. These organizations served as training groups for farm and rural leaders.
NEW BREED OF RICE, actually an improvement of the IR–20 rice variety, has been readied for nationwide planting during the 1973 wet season which starts in May. The go-signal for the planting of the new rice variety was given today by an inter-agency group composed of Drs. Reeshon Feuer and Gurdey A. Khush of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Mauro Ordillo of the Bureau of Agricultural Extension (BAE) and Apolinario Gutierrez of the Bureau of Plant Industry. According to Dr. Feuer, the “reselected” line is more resistant to green leafhoppers and tungro. The new IR–20 has been also conditioned to grow on very poor soils and long dry days. Yet, its medium size grains taste like the local “Wag–Wag” rice. The seeds that will be harvested in May and June will be classified as blue tagged “certified” class seeds, the highest quality rank for rice seeds in the country.