Official Gazette for February 13, 1973: BEFORE MARTIAL LAW, the Philippine National Railways was plagued by continuous financial losses (it had been on losing streak since 1962, with losses approximating P8 million in 1965-66, P10 million in 1970-71), due to poor service and meddlesome politics which threatened its existence. The PNR’s Manila terminal, Tutuban, was a happy ground for pilferers, snatchers, bag lifters, holduppers, tong collectors, ticket scalpers, illegal vendors, and hoodlums. A visit to Tutuban after Martial Law, however, is another experience. The first impression that one gets is airiness and unhurried, disciplined waiting. The scalpers who accosted you with impunity are gone. The illegal vendors are gone too. Instead well lighted kiosks for candies, magazines, foodstuffs.
BUREAU OF INTERNAL Revenue warned the public against securing more than one tax account numbers and reminded taxpayers that this practice is punishable with a fine of not more than P300 and/or imprisonment for not more than six months. The TAN of every taxpayer serves as a permanent number, the BIR said, and anyone who loses it should not get a new one. Instead, he should verify his old TAN with the BIR’S data processing center. To avoid loss, taxpayers are advised by the BIR to keep a permanent record of their TAN at home, office, or on their person.
DEPARTMENT OF TRADE and Tourism directed all provincial commercial agents of the Bureau of Commerce to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission any person or entity soliciting or selling securities, investment plans and shares of stocks without SEC approval in violation of Sec. 4 of the Securities Act. The department crackdown on business malpractices came in the wake of reports that this particular malpractice is committed with impunity especially in the provinces where there are no SEC field men. The Bureau of Commerce agents were told to enforce the securities law in areas where there are no SEC offices since unscrupulous entities might take advantage of the absence of SEC representatives.
THERE ARE NOW 353 farmers cooperatives in active operation in the Philippines having a combined membership of 107,012 individual producers and an aggregate authorized capital of P389,497,600 of which P284,596,603 had been paid up. Duly affiliated with the Agricultural Credit Administration, they are strategically located in 240 municipalities and cities covering 2,000 barrios in 54 provinces. Operationally, they are classified according to the crops and/or services they handle. Topping the roster are 197 palay farmers cooperatives, followed by 50 tobacco (native and Virginia) farmers cooperatives. Third, fourth and fifth placers, respectively, are 35 sugar, 23 poultry and livestock, and 23 fishery cooperatives. The other types of cooperatives, particularly, supply, sugar and tobacco groups, operate with their own financing or under special government program such as the Virginia tobacco subsidy and the United States Agency for International Development feed grain program.
PHILIPPINE MEDICAL CARE COMMISSION (PMCC) announced that President Marcos has approved its recommendation to extend medicare coverage to all legal dependents of members of the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System. The extension of the medicare benefits to legal dependents is effective retroactively as of Jan. 1, this year. This was the original plan of the PMCC for the date of effectivity of the coverage of legal dependents of the employed sector.
PRESIDENT MARCOS issued Memorandum Circular No. 623 “authorizing the Secretary of Local Government and Community Development to act on requests of local governments for exemptions under the provisions of Memorandum Circular No. 593” dated Aug. 8, 1972 The 1972 circular directs all government agencies, including’ government owned or controlled corporations, “to comply with all 12 restrictions on government expenditures which are all embodied in the said memorandum circular. Exemptions, however, do not apply to the following cases: “1). Purchase of motor vehicles and other supplies and equipment which are not essential for public service; 2) Authority to undertake financing arrangements with private financing institutions or banks; and 3) All cases of expenditures when the status of funds of the local units do not justify such expenditures.”
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENSE announced that owners of motor vehicles are now permitted to use a six-inch-high Scotch tint strip at the top portion of the front and back glasses of motor vehicles. Curtains are also allowed now at the back of motor vehicles, provided there is an opening of from 18 to 24 inches at the middle. This opening is intended to afford the driver a rear view for driving safety. These changes are amendments to the previous provisions of DND Department Order No. 278 issued last Nov. 23, 1972 banning the use of tinted glasses and curtains on motor vehicles. It was stressed, however, that the use of the Scotch tint is still prohibited on the side
The Spanish ambassador delivered a scholarly book (a gov’t. [government] publication) of Spanish words in Tagalo. And was concerned about Spanish as an official language.
Sec. Gen. of the World Muslim League, Inamullah Khan of Pakistan. He has asked the Muslims, in speeches, to support my administration.
Admiral Noel Gayler, CINCPAC [Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet] who took over from Adm. [John] McCain [Jr.] in September of 1972 paid his courtesy call. I furnished him the documents we gave Vice Pres. [Spiro] Agnew.
The French and Swiss want to support the cellophane project.
We must limit the production of bananas to 20,000 hectares. The total now projected is 25,000 hectares. I have issued the proper orders.
Loans and deposits for the Veterans Bank.
And finally a Muslim mosque in Quezon City planned with Sen. Mamintal Tamano.
And the integration of the domestic communications system.
Have outlined for my staff the new book starting out with the new concept of a representative government capable of meeting the crisis and tensions of a developing country.
While representative it must be efficient and progressive. As Alan Cholkeby has put it it must have two freedoms—that of maneuver and that of freedom from the constraint of tenure—or continuity of policy.
For every developing country must face such crisis that it must be flexible, responsive and react swiftly to opportunity and to threat or crisis.
The Phil. experiment and the Presidential constitutional power to proclaim martial law uses the rebellion to recast its traditionally democratic government into such a model.
But for it to depart from the traditionally accepted forms it must have an immediate salutary effect on the people’s lives—thus peace and order, elimination of corruption and privilege and equal opportunity for all such as land reform.
windows of motor vehicles.
SIRENS WILL be sounded in the Greater Manila area to remind the public about the 12 o’clock Curfew. At 11:30 p.m., sirens will sound one short, one long blast for three consecutive times to give a half-hour warning to the public. At exactly midnight, sirens will be sounded for one minute to mark the start of curfew. This will be done every night. The Metrocom is coordinating with all municipalities and large industrial plants who have sirens to be used in signaling the start of curfew hours. Even Metrocom cars with sirens will be used. Military authorities hope this will be done in the entire country.
While the long range reforms are slowly worked out.
The dilemma of all the developing countries is still freedom in its traditional concept or survival.
Perhaps too simplistic but true. In our case survival (physically) from the anarchy, violence and chaos of actual rebellion. In the case of others—an immobilizing and creeping kind of crisis.
In our case, too, providentially, there was written into our constitution the power to proclaim martial law which would authorize not only an assurance of flexibility in eradicating the rebellion but of instituting reforms that would prevent its recurrence and create a new society.
For how can a man value freedom when his entire life is devoted to searching for his next meal. He has neither time nor opportunity for amenities.
It would be best if he had both, of course.