10:00 PM Aug. 31st
Official Gazette for August 29, 1973: THE PRESIDENT issued Letter of Instructions No. 120 directing government officials and employees going on official trips abroad to secure, whenever possible, accommodations on Philippine-owned or operated carriers Main objective behind the directive is to effect savings m foreign exchange and further improve the country’s foreign exchange reserves. The Department of Tourism, headed by Secretary Jose D. Aspiras shall, in collaboration with the Central Bank, prescribe the guidelines to carry into effect the purposes and spirit of LOI No. 120.
SECRETARY of Information Francisco S. Tatad said that the ultimate aim of the New Society’s reform program is the fostering of the impulse to create, which seeks to enhance their capacities and bring to the world goods which, strictly speaking, cannot be possessed by anyone. In a speech delivered before the Rotary Club of Makati at the Sulu Restaurant, the secretary stressed that any system founded on the need of men to acquire and possess is always doomed to perpetual tension and precariousness. Emphasizing that such a system merely posits the need of men to compete with one another, the secretary pointed out that the country needs something “larger and more constructive as a political ideal.”
THE COUNTRY’S foreign exchange transactions for the first seven months of 1973 (January to July) registered an overall surplus of $453 million as compared with only $3 million during the same period in 1972. The Central Bank, which reviewed the country’s foreign exchange transactions during the first; seven months of 1973, attributed this unprecedented improvement to the strong performance in exports and earnings from foreign tourists. During the first seven months of 1973, export receipts totalled $962 million, 54 per cent or $337 million more than in the comparable period a year ago. This improvement is mainly due to improved world prices for the country’s major exports. Import payments were only 1.1 per cent or $7 million higher than the previous year’s, despite the 24 per cent increase in L/Cs opened.
CUSTOMS Commissioner Rolando G. Geotina appealed for sustained public support and cooperation in the bureau’s war against graft and corruption. He said that the stage has been set in the Bureau of Customs for the public to participate actively and decisively in the fight against irregularities in the Government. Commissioner Geotina made the appeal before officers and members of the Finance Executive Institute of the Philippines during its general meeting held at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati where he was guest of honor and principal speaker. He pointed out that the Bureau’s leadership in a short span of 10 months under Martial Law was able to introduce meaningful and substantial changes that had transformed customs into a worthy organization in
SOME 20 million more Filipinos will be benefitted with the expansion of the country’s medicare program. Medicare Chairman Pacifico E. Marcos explained in an interview in Tacloban City that the medicare program would be expanded to include those who are not members of the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System. Dr. Marcos said the President has expressed the necessity of presenting the expansion of medicare to the people in a referendum “as this will involve a greater portion of the masses who will be contributing members of the medicare program.” Dr. Marcos further explained that under this expansion plan, both contributor and his dependents will avail of the same privileges. The dependents will divide among themselves the 45 hospitalization days allotted for one contributor.
THE PRESIDENT created the Pasig River Development Council to oversee the implementation of the Pasig River Development Program, providing the council with the power to administer the Pasig River Development Program Trust Account. Through Presidential Decree No. 281, the executive secretary was designated overall coordinator of the council. He was personally entrusted with the duty to integrate and oversee the functions and activities of both the Government, as represented by the council, and the private sector who shall form a similar counterpart council.
LABOR Secretary Blas F. Ople called on the government bureaucrats to spearheaded the peaceful and democratic revolution initiated by the President under Martial Law. Speaking at a seminar of high level executives of the Department of Health, the labor chief said: “It is you on whom the President has relied for assistance in carrying out the democratic revolution that has caught the attention of the world because of its ability to produce results.” Secretary Ople pointed out that under Martial Law, the President could have established a new bureaucracy to carry out the goals of the New Society. Instead, he said, the President decided to trust the old bureaucracy, believing it was not beyond reform and that, given proper motivation, it can improve its mediocre performance in the past. The improvement and changes under Martial Law, according to tire labor secretary, have brought about the reformed
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
I have spent most of these three days on my book. “Notes on the Making of the New Society of the Philippines.”
Wednesday was routine. Thursday marked the arrival of Miss Universe when Imelda met (I could not meet her as I was too busy with the ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] secretariat and the Federation of Barrio Captains in the Philippines).
Today I worked on the book up to 12:00 AM and then met the two Nacu brothers from Barrio Pio, Porac, Pampanga where they helped me during the fighting thereat against the Japanese—January 2-5, 1942.
The book has been sent to the media for printing except for the last chapter, Chapter VII on Theory and Practice in the New Society.
bureaucracy.
THE PHILIPPINES is moving towards its scheduled change-over from the English and other systems of weights and measures to the almost universally-accepted metric system. To beat the deadline set forth by the President, the Metric System Board headed by Secretary of Trade Troadio T. Quiazon Jr. took steps to expedite and program the work of adopting the metric system in all sectors of the economy. The Secretary set the deadline on September 21, 1973, for the full submission of definitions of basic and complementary units like the meter, kilogram, ampere, second, kelvin, candela, mole and degree. The deadline for the submission of derived units is December 31, 1973.
KULITIS, also known as Philippine spinach, is a wild-growing vegetable crop rich in vitamins A and C, potash and phosphorous. According to food technologists of the Bureau of Plant Industry, kulitis makes an excellent dietary item that promotes good health and vitality. The shoots and leaves of the crop can be eaten as salad, either green or blended with other vegetables. “They taste just as delectable as other vegetable crops,” the BPI food technologists said.
Official Gazette for August 31, 1973: