Official Gazette for August 24, 1973: THE PRESIDENT urged all overseas Filipinos to visit the Philippines and see the “miraculous transformation” going on, assuring them of their safe return, whether they are for or against the present program of reforms. The President renewed his invitation before the first batch of overseas Filipinos, consisting of 33 journalists and travel agents from the United States and Canada, who took advantage of “Operation Homecoming” recently launched by the President. The President warned that “if there be anyone who dares to touch any special guest of the President, I shall see to it that the full rigor of Martial Law will be inflicted upon him.”
THE PRESIDENT ordered the acceleration in the construction of the projects under the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), in a memorandum issued to Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez. The President expects these projects to be started before the end of the year. The projects are: Mabitac-Sta. Maria (Laguna) irrigation project; Pagsanjan River Delta irrigation system; Teresa (Rizal) groundwater irrigation project; Bay fish nursery project; and hydraulic control structure. The President’s order was prompted by reports that the studies for the projects had already been completed.
THE PRESIDENT pledged to implement in complete detail the government plans for the improvement of the condition of the Muslim cultural communities throughout the country with the newly-created province of Sultan Kudarat as symbol and model. In administering the oath of office to Simeon Datumanong as acting governor of the new province in Malacañang, the President said, “Let the province be the symbol and model of the efforts of the Government, and the sincerity of its leaders, to bring about a better life for the Muslims who have many valid grievances for fighting!” The President had created the new province, together with the new province of Magindanao, in order to make it easier to resolve the conflicting political, social and economic questions which had been the cause of trouble in the province of Cotabato proper.
DEPARTMENT of Finance issued guidelines on how local governments can avail themselves of the P133 million Local Government Fund for socio-economic development projects. The Local Government Fund, which was created by the President through Presidential Decree No. 144, is different from the regular Bureau of Internal Revenue allotments shared by local governments from BIR collections. The guidelines follow: 1) Local governments whose annual internal revenue allotment for Fiscal Year 1974-75 will be reduced to 30 per cent or more when compared to the total internal revenue allotment actually received fn Fiscal Year 1970-71, may apply for budgetary aid from the Local Government Fund; 2) Aid granted from the Local Government Fund will not be used for the creation of new positions or increases and adjustments of salaries; 3) Financial aid from the fund will be used to defray the cost of on-going or new local development projects; 4) Request for financial assistance for new projects which are financed partly from the 20 per cent development fund shall be accompanied by a development plan or work program duly approved by the secretary of the Department of Local Government and Community Development; 5) All request for budgetary aid or financial assistance shall be made through the board or council; (6) Request for aid must be accompanied by a certificate of the provincial or city treasurer concerned, stating that the total estimated income of the local unit will not be sufficient to cover urgent public services; and 7) All requests for budgetary aid shall be submitted to the President through the secretary of finance who shall determine the reasonableness, financial condition or capacity of the applicant and the economic feasibility of proposed local development projects.
BUREAU of Customs announced that the interisland shipowners and operators have agreed to shoulder the cost of the arrastre charges on coconut edible oil being collected presently by arrastre contractors at the Manila North Harbor. In a report to Customs Commissioner Rolando Geotina, Deputy Commissioner Pedro Mendoza Jr. said that the conference of Inter-island Shipowners and Operators Association have agreed to assume the cost of the handling of the oil products in the spirit of cooperation with the Government to bring down the prices of prime commodities and to make cooking oil readily available to the consumers. He said the agreement brings to six the number – of prime commodities whose arrastre charges are being borne by the shipping companies. They are rice, corn, flour, sugar, milk, and now coconut edible oil.
HEAT emitted from gas produced by the burning of coconut shell has been found to be more efficient than diesel oil in the drying of copra. Copra, dried mechanically with heat from burned coconut shell, is white and clean while that dried mechanically from heat produced by diesel fuel, was brown and dirty-looking. This was the report of the first phase of a NSDB project which seeks to develop a copra-drier using coconut shell as fuel for the production of high quality copra. The director of the project is Dr. Ibarra Cruz of the college of engineering, University of the
We must now finalize our positions on the negotiations with the U.S. I am insisting on the handling of the negotiations of all treaties as a whole package.
Tomorrow we meet on the questions pending before the U.S. and the Philippines.
On the Benigno Aquino case his lawyers have gone to the Supreme Court for prohibition and preliminary injunction. This may be good as it emphasizes the fact that the ordinary courts are functioning.
Philippines.