11:25 PM Feb. 9, 1973
Official Gazette for February 8, 1973: BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE reported that based on partial tabulations, some P9.53 million in delinquent taxes have been collected in the Greater Manila area alone pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 68. The collection is broken down as follows: Bulacan, P89,722.02; Quezon City, P4,120,702.30; South Manila, P2,989,972.54; and North Manila, P2,610,703.30. These payments corresponded to some 4,568 tax cases, many of which dated back to many years ago. BIR authorities said that collections may reach the P12 million mark in the Greater Manila alone once complete reports are tallied. Presidential Decree No. 68 allowed a tax payer a 40 percent discount of his delinquent taxes if he settled his obligations not later than Jan. 31 this year.
RECENTLY CONCLUDED LISTING of industrial and non-industrial establishments which was conducted by the Bureau of the Census and Statistics reveals that there were 561,791 establishments in operation throughout the country in November–December 1972. Although preliminary, this number far exceeds the number of establishments reported in the 1967 Economic Census, which was only 360,444. The tremendous increase of 201,347 establishments, or 55.9 per cent, over the 1967 count can be attributed to several factors, namely; increased economic activities as a result of the growth of population; more complete coverage in the 1972 listing as all barrios were visited/investigated by census field personnel; better supervision and control of the listing operation because of the presence of census field offices in every province; and more efficient field procedures.
ANOTHER INDICATION of the growing confidence of other countries in the vitality of the Philippine economy is the grant by the Federal Republic of Germany of a ten-million Deutschmark loan (equivalent to P20,300,000) to the Philippines. The German government has extended the loan for use as capital for Philippine imports of commodities from Germany. Terms for the loan are liberal: repayable in 30 years at two per cent interest per annum, with a grace period of 10 years. A significant aspect of the German aid is that it was offered three months after the imposition of Martial Law (Dec. 29, 1972), doubtless a tangible manifestation of the Bonn government’s awareness of the reforms, economic and social, instituted and being instituted under the New Society.
JAPAN NATIONAL TOURIST Organization (JNTO) pledged the cooperation of its office in the effort to promote the Philippine tourist industry, with particular emphasis in Southeast Asia and European countries. Director Kenji Kohata of the JNTO was briefed by Secretary Troadio Quiazon Jr. of Trade and Tourism on existing tourist facilities in the country and on government plans with respect to the development and promotion of tourism. The visiting Japanese was told that tourist facilities in the Greater Manila area are adequate to cope with the increase of tourists this year although there is immediate need of additional facilities in other parts of the country, particularly in Zamboanga City.
83RD BIRTH ANNIVERSARY of the late Claro M. Recto, statesman, parliamentarian, and president of the 1934 Constitutional Convention, was commemorated with a mass, a wreath laying ceremony at his tomb at the North Cemetery, and a simple program at the Recto High School in Manila. Recto, who was born February 8, 1890, in Tiaong, Quezon province, to Claro Recto and Micaela Mayo, was noted for his nationalistic ideas, especially in relation to the country’s foreign policy. Of his greatest political achievements was his able stewardship of the 1934 Constitutional Convention where he displayed tact and diplomacy for the smooth functioning of the body. Recto died on Dec. 2, 1960, in Rome, while having a press conference.
ADOPTION of the “assembly line” method of processing import papers has cut down the period of clearing goods from the South Harbor from an average of three weeks to three days. The expeditious releases of goods from the piers and the cutting down on red tape and corruption have resulted in less overhead for businessmen and consequently, a marked reduction in the prices of imported commodities. The new procedure was adopted by Commissioner of Customs Rolando Geotina September last year. Certain unnecessary and tedious procedures, such as the checks on bonds and insurance, have been modified to expedite releases of goods.
IDLE PEOPLE, backyard junk, dirty vacant lots, street corners and islands once littered with garbage now belong to the past. Seldom will one find school children now playing around after classes, or housewives engaged in petty gossip. Menfolk don’t squander time in barbershops or kantos any more, where they used to play dama and chess or engage in drinking sprees or nonsense discussions. Today, everybody is busy. The atmosphere is one of genuine enthusiasm. Green Revolution has become household lingo for both young and old, for the affluent and the poor.
I was too busy finalizing the Aide Memoire (the typewritten confidential one) with the documents on:
- The assassination conspiracy against me in which Americans and British are involved.
- The [Tun] Mustafa intervention in Phil. internal affairs including the delivery of funds to Osmeña men.
- Training of Muslims by Malaysia for Mindanao and Sulu fighting in support of the Secessionist Movement.
- The funds from Libya through the Indonesian intermediary.
- The Pakistan support of the Libyan aid to the Muslim secessionists.
It is my intention to show the Vice President the intervention of the Americans prejudicing our interests.