Spent the day skiing in Talaga where we went early in the morning with Mother, Tony, Rudy, Alita, Bejo and Neling Nieto.
Had difficulty converting to a monoski. And the water was cold, the wind very strong.
Official Gazette for February 17, 1973: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE advised the public that all properties located in the Philippines should be insured only with insurance companies duly authorized to do business in the Philippines. It was pointed out that this is one of the explicit provisions of Presidential Decree No. 63 which introduced several amendments to the Insurance Act. The Commission is now authorized to appoint an administrator to manage the affairs and properties of an erring insurance company in lieu of the usual rehabilitation proceedings. This new power of the Insurance Commission is in addition to its authority to suspend or revoke the certificates of authority of insurance companies found violating the Insurance Act.
BUREAUS OF INTERNAL REVENUE and Customs granted tax credits amounting to P1,831,820.89 to 34 export firms registered with the Board of Investments under the Investment Incentives Act (Republic Act 5186) and the Export Incentives Act (Republic Act 6135) for the year 1972. Among the non-traditional products exported by these firms during the year were: sewing machine cabinets, cements, garments, acrylic wigs, crumb rubber, pianos, paints and varnishes, and food products. Of the P1 8 million tax credits granted by both offices, P1,578,789.89 represented the amount to firms registered under R.A. 5186 and P253,013.0.0 to those under R.A. 6135. Tax credits represent the refund of taxes and duties paid by BOI-registered firms on the raw materials and supplies they used in the manufacture of exported products. The tax credit certificate issued to them may be used in paying other taxes, duties, fees and charges due the national government.
DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL Government and Community Development called on all provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, and barrio captains to “preserve the lists of the names and officials of Barangays (citizen assemblies)” so that these assemblies could continue functioning as the base of popular government in deciding issues affecting the people. In its Memorandum Circular No. 73-2, the DLGCD ordered that: 1) Barangays must update the membership of their duly constituted assemblies to include 15-year-olds and the illiterates; 2) For purposes of codifications, sufficient copies of the updated list be prepared, distributed, coded as follows—code one for the file copy of the barangay, code two for the copy of the municipal or city secretariat, code three for the copy of the provincial secretariat, and code four for the copy of the executive secretariat of the Katipunan ng mga Barangay; 3) Immediate steps be taken toward the organization of barangays in municipalities and cities where no barangay has as yet been organized or constituted.
101ST DEATH ANNIVERSARY of Fathers Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora, popularly known as “The Three Martyred Priests of 1872” and whom historians consider as the “Forerunners of Philippine Nationalism” was commemorated today with a mass and a simple wreath laying ceremony at the foot of their monument at Plaza Roma, Aduana St., Intramuros. It will be recalled that when the Cavite Mutiny of Jan. 20, 1872 took place, Fathers Burgos, Gomez and Zamora were implicated. They were arrested and imprisoned at Fort Santiago by the Spanish authorities. Subsequently, they were tried by mock military tribunal, found guilty and executed at Bagumbayan, now part of Rizal Park.
PHILIPPINE EXPORT receipts in the fourth quarter of 1972, the period covering the first three months under Martial Law., amounted to $285 million, considered the biggest for the year, according to the report of the Apartment of Finance. Compared to the export receipts of the fourth quarter of Calendar Year 1971, which was $249.25 million, the export receipts for the fourth quarter of last year was $38 million more or an increase of 14 per cent, and was also 7 per cent more than the average of the first three quarters of the year. From 1966 to 1971, export receipts during the fourth quarter were always the lowest for the year, but because of improved conditions brought about by Martial Law, the export receipts of the fourth quarter of 1972 registered the highest level for the year.
Returned in time to see the end of the Japan-YCO basketball game which ended in a 94-94 tie—no extension.
Like India, Indonesia and others we have a shortage of rice estimated at 600,000 to 700,000 tons.
So we are buying 700,000 tons of IR-8 the seedlings of which we exported to Pakistan some time ago, from Dr. Fouad Kaissar Addon representing El Adil International 2 (Pakistan) Ltd. at $145 a ton, cash for the first 150,000 tons (by Letter of Credit) and 150,000 tons in cement valued at $12 a ton which means 2 million tons or 40 million bags to be exported by us to Kuwait.
I met tonight with Jess Tanchangco, Gen. Manager of the National Grain Authority, Gov. Gregorio Licaros of the Central Bank and Cong. Eduardo Cojuangco who made the arrangements with this international trader whom he met by chance looking for cement.
I authorized the signing of the contract and taking a 60 day option on the additional 400,000 tons on the same terms of payment in cement payable over three years.
But I insisted that if the price of cement goes higher then we can pay in cash.
There is a world shortage of rice and the prices are shooting up every day. So if we do not need the rice, then we can always sell it at a higher price.
But we are still trying to obtain 100,000 tons of rice under the old concessional terms of 30 years to pay, 10 years grace, 2% interest the first ten years and 3% after that.
And another 100,000 from the U.S. under the same terms.
The new book will trace the development of Philippine society and political institutions—from antiquity as shown by the diggings of the bones or ______ of the animals about 400,000 years ago in the Cagayan Valley or those of earlier vintage in the Tabon Caves in Palawan (50,000 years ago), the three land bridges to the Chinese mainland, the great migrations to the Philippines.
How before the arrival of the Spaniards we had laws and codes (Codes of Kalantiao for example) and political organizations—as well as forms of popular representation, elections and referendum.
It will trace the corruption of our character as a people by the various new influences that came into contact with us.
We may include the alteration of the pattern of life of the Tasadays of the Stone Age culture by the simple visit of an ‘Obo hunter who brought an ax and knife—as an example.
The extent to which our people were corrupted by the Spanish conquest as claimed by Rizal and the revolutionaries of 1896 must not be exaggerated but properly emphasized.
And the power that belonged to the people was grabbed by a new class of political brokers and oligarchs. The foreign tyrants were replaced by local ones.
The slow creeping disease that spread throughout the land must be graphically described.
The rebellion, the secessionist movement of the Muslims, the anarchy, the restlessness and malaise was due to the frustrated hopes of the people who had lost their power to the political brokers and the oligarchs.
And the future of bloodshed, disunity and confusion, chaos with a takeover by the communists or the military whoever was more organized and disciplined.
Thus the need to risk everything once again—realizing that the move and gamble might be misunderstood.
The narrative must then be personal at this point.
But the current belief that democracy per se is less efficient and flexible or effective than a dictatorial form of government like communism must be disproved.
Not if the people themselves exercise their power directly—not through the power brokers.