Crude oil deliveries still speculative as the Arab states have not made up their minds. And the normal flow of oil to the Philippines awaits bureaucratic red tape which, in suspect, is partly due to Arab deliberate policy.
Official Gazette for December 3, 1973: THE PRESIDENT invited overseas Filipinos to take advantage of the Balikbayan project in order to see for themselves what is actually taking place in the new Philippines. The President issued the invitation through Mr. Precioso M. Nicanor, who took his oath of office as president of the Philippine Communities Executive Council in the Eastern United States, before the President.
THE PETROLEUM Operations Center was given blanket authority by the Executive Committee on Prime Commodities to monitor and settle all problems concerning petroleum products in the country. This was made at the meeting of the committee at Camp Crame, Quezon City, during which Secretary of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile, committee chairman, strictly enjoined the POC to establish priorities in fuel allocations so as not to slow down the nation’s economy. With the authority, the committee empowered the POC to determine allocations, restorations on cutbacks, the movement of petroleum products from abroad and within the country, and other matters pertinent to petroleum products.
TWO GROUPS of investors from London and Hongkong apprised the President of their plans to invest in the country, during separate courtesy calls at Malacañang. The groups are composed of officials of the Fleming Bank of London and a 30-man Kowloon (Hongkong) economic survey mission touring the country and looking for investment possibilities. Both groups informed the President that they are hopeful of making investments here. In his talks with the foreign investors, the President gave assurance that their investments will be protected by the government and that they are free to make remittances of profits and capital.
Official Gazette for December 4, 1973: THE PRESIDENT hailed the influx of Japanese investors into the country as an indication that the level of trade between the Philippines and Japan will continue to rise. The President told a visiting foreign investment research mission from Fukuoka, Japan, who called at Malacañang, that “today Japan has already taken the premier position from the United States as the Philippines’ trading partner.” Speaking for the mission, Tsukasa Shishima, president of Sogo Bank of Fukuoka, said the mission found the effects of Martial Law “very good for the Philippines.” Mr. Shishima informed the President that many of the members of the -mission are coming back to enter into joint ventures with local companies.
THE GOVERNMENT policy to set up two copper smelters in the Philippines, to be operational by 1976, was announced by the President. The Chief Executive decided to set up the two smelting plants, one in Northern Luzon and another in the Visayas, during his meeting with mining representatives and Chairman Vicente T. Paterno of the Board of Investments, who is concurrently secretary of industry.
SECRETARY of Information Francisco S. Tatad urged the private sector, the media industry and government to pool their resources and promote new avenues of mass communication for national development. Speaking at the seminar of the Philippine Executive Academy at the Pines Hotel in Baguio City, Secretary Tatad noted that the nation is at a state when the vital organ of public opinion is no longer a huge impersonal media industry but the live forums of people discussing with one another in the barangay, in the schools and m the offices. The secretary expressed the hope that the academy, the participants at the seminar, the media industry and the government will find it possible to pool their minds and start an earnest and practicable program to link together mass communications in the country.
THE PRESIDENT received Dr. J. Englebert Dunphy, chairman of the board of trustees of the American College of Surgeons who, together with his wife, called to pay his respects to the President. Noting the plan to build a modern medical center and hospital in the Philippines, Dr. Dunphy said that this plan will not only arrest the brain drain but will attract foreign students who will take special training in the facilities offered by the Philippines.
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So we will have to patiently work on them through both diplomatic and private channels. I am sending Imelda to Iran to Shah the Shahbanon on oil.
She leaves for London Wednesday as apparently Dr. Litler does not think an operation on her finger and hand is advisable. It would be taking unnecessary risks and she has recovered quite well (much more than expected) and continuous use of the band may cause it to recover its facility.
International ski competition December 8-9. The world champions are here: Men’s world champion Mike Suyderhoud, USA; Women’s world champion Lisa St. John, USA; Australian champion Leslie Cockburn and Japanese Champion Ryochi Yamazaki.
Brought them to Look and Talaga, December 10-11th.