Official Gazette for August 13, 1973: THE PRESIDENT has created an executive committee to promote and ensure the more rapid and efficient flow of rice, corn and other prime consumer commodities, like sugar and cocount oil from the point of production up to the point of immediate distribution to the final consumer. The executive committee is empowered under a Letter of Instructions to take “over the control and coordination of government agencies in order to carry out, monitor and if necessary, control the distribution of these prime consumer commodities. The committee is headed by the secretary of national defense as chairman with the executive secretary as vice chairman. Members of the committee are the secretaries of agriculture and natural resources, trade, local governments and community development and public information, chief of the Philippine Constabulary and the administrator of the National Grains Authority.
ALL corporations with surplus profits in excess of necessary, requirements for capital expansion and reserves are required under Presidential Decree No. 270 to declare and distribute such excess profits as dividends to stockholders. The decree also notes that many corporations, which have surplus profits even in excess of 100 per cent of the paid-up capital stock do not declare the same as dividends to stockholders. And it is pointed out that this failure to declare dividends when corporations are able to do so, stultifies investors’ interest, in channeling their investible funds in equities even of productive industries and enterprises, thereby retarding the economic growth and development of the country.
SECRETARY of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata said that P191, 916,574.04 was collected last fiscal year in real property taxes by 61 provinces and 66 cities as against P132, 829,579.69 in 1971 or an increase of P59, 086,994.85 or 44.48 per cent. The provinces registered a higher percentage of increase in the collection of real property taxes amounting to P92, 401, 575.23 in 1972 as against P55, 447,157.05 in 1971 or an increase of P36, 954,418.18 or 66.65 per cent: In 1972, the cities collected P99.514,-998.81 in real property taxes as against P77, 382,421.64 in 1971 or an increase of P22, 132,577.17 or 28.60 per cent. Secretary Virata attributed the increased collection in 1972 to the increased dedication of the provincial and city treasurers and assessors and municipal treasurers. Modern methods of assessment and collection procedures now being implemented have also greatly affected the hiked collections.
ROLE of the Bureau of Agricultural Extension (BAE) in the agricultural development of the country has been explained during the nationwide broadcast, “Pulong-Pulong sa Kaunlaran.” BAE Deputy Commissioner Francisco Rentutar said that the BAE is the educational arm of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources in disseminating to the farmers new technology in agriculture from research institutions like the College of Agriculture, Internal Rice Research Institute Bureau of Plant Industry, and other agencies doing research. This function is handled all over the country by fieldmen composed of 3,176 farm management technicians, 975 home management technicians, and 500 rural youth officers.
Official Gazette for August 14, 1973: THE PRESIDENT vowed to utilize all the powers under Martial Law to speed up the development of Minadanao and bring: the Muslim communities to the same level as the most developed part of the Philippines. The President made this statement as he asked a Muslim delegation from Sulu, Cotabato, the Lanao provinces, Zamboanga and Basilan to now assume a more positive role in helping bring about Mindanao’s socio economic development. The President discussed with the delegation ongoing infrastructure projects, industry and trade, including the development of fisheries, and plans to establish an amanah (trust) bank.
THE PRESIDENT exhorted all government officials to join hands in propagating the use of Pilipino to assure the success of the government’s reform program in the New Society. Calling on public officials, from Cabinet members down to barangay leaders, the Chief Executive stressed the need for a more widespread use of Pilipino, especially in the discussion of public issues, in order “to give the language a new vitality and strength”. In a speech read for him by Secretary Blas F. Ople during the opening ceremonies at the Manuel L. Quezon University ushering in Pilipino Week, the President also said that he has already ordered the translation into Pilipino of educational materials, both for print and for broadcast, “so that government information may achieve maximum effectiveness.”
THE PHILIPPINES is using the metric system to keep pace with the advances of international trade. The reminder was issued by Secretary of Trade Troadio T. Quiazon Jr., so that manufactures and packagers may start adjusting their packaging, processes and procedures on measurements based on the metric system. The metric system or what is now known as the International System of Units (SI) is the international language of measurements and, lately, more and more countries are adopting this system of measurements. The DT secretary said the proposed
Monday and Tuesday
Monday was spent preparing the briefing papers including a whole day conference at the Executive Secretary’s office with the Muslim leaders.
Today the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister and the Somali representative arrived.
We are preparing to answer charges of genocide and atrocities allegedly committed by the government troops and Ilagas.
I enclose papers on the trip of the four Muslim foreign ministers.
international change-over will give industrialists the opportunity of standardising and effecting uniformity in container sizes. This would also eliminate uneconomical packaging.
BUREAU of Posts reminded the public to use Anti-TJB postage stamps on their mails beginning August 19 up to September 30, which is the annual implementation of the Anti-TB Stamp Law. Acting Postmaster General Filizardo Tanabe issued the reminder in order to avoid the non delivery of mail matters without the Anti-TB semi-postage stamps mailed during this period. Exempted from this requirement are periodicals or publications received for mailing under any class of mail, including newspapers or magazines admitted as second-class mail; and government offices, agencies and instrumentalities performing governmental and proprietary functions, including provincial, city and municipal corporations as well as government offices and officials enjoying the franking privilege under existing laws.
PUBLIC Assistance Office of the Department of Justice has been created to receive complaints from citizens against any instance of dishonesty, incompetence, laziness, or discourstesy on the part of any government employe in the justice department or any bureau or office under it. The new office will also give free legal advice to indigent or low-income citizens, Acting Justice Secretary Catalino Macaraig announced. The office was set up pursuant to the directive of the President that each department should organize an assistance office which should he a microcosm of the entire departments and should extend immediate aid to the needy.
NATIONAL government has realized a net operating surplus of P516, 026,339.45 in the General Fund in July, 1973, which is the beginning of Fiscal Year 1973-74. This was reported by Secretary of Finance Cesar E.A. Virata who said that the net operating surplus was realized when government income far exceeded government expenditures in the General Fund. Secretary Virata also said that the cash balance of the national government as of July 31, 1973 was P2, 102, 961, 666.96
SECRETARY of Health Clemente S. Gatmaitan underlined the importance of the need for anesthesiology and its ever-widening applicibility in the rapidly expanding health and medical care programs. There is increasing need for this specialty with the vast changing progress and development of our times, the health secretary said. Speaking before the participants of the anethesiology in service training of the Department of Health during their commencement exercises held at the Sulu Hotel in Quezon City, Secretary Gatmaitan said that no major surgery is possible without anesthesia and that its important use can be traced to the biblical times.