Upi, Cotobato was retaken this morning by the 2nd Inf. Bn. [Infantry Battalion] with special forces teams supported by the 15th PC [Philippine Constabulary] Bn. that came from Ulatanga.
Only there WIA [wounded in action] on our side.
We have to reveal the intensified subversive activities at least in Luzon and Visayas as we may have to take overt counter action including mass arrests and detention.
I have ordered the declassification of Operations Sea Hawk which will bring out the Doña Andrea and M/B Elbie cases of gun smuggling, the Kalayaan and the National Democratic Front.
I have also ordered the Calbiga incident to be released later to the media.
But there is an alarming increase of AWOL [absent without leave] in the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] units, operating in Mindanao and Sulu.
More rotation for R & Rand troop information is necessary.
Cayetano Ludo, the biggest coconut oil exporter came to see me this morning accompanied by Ralph Nubla and he confirmed the report that international speculators were deliberately depressing the price of coconut oil.
Official Gazette for July 31, 1974: THE PRESIDENT decreed the mandatory payment of emergency allowances to workers in the private sector effective August 1 to enable them to cope with the rising cost of living. Presidential Decree No. 525 required all employers who have not paid employes emergency allowances in accordance with Letter of Instructions No. 174, shall pay their employes receiving less than P600 a month a monthly emergency allowance of P50 each if their capitalization is more than P1 million; P30 a month if their capitalization is more than P100,000 but not exceeding P1 million; and P15 a month if their capitalization is P100,000 or less. The decree does not apply to severely distressed industries, as defined by the Department of Labor.
DEPARTMENT of Labor’s Region IV announced the payment of a total of P33,705,881 in compensation benefits to nearly 10,000 workers during fiscal sear 1973-74. In a report to Labor Secretary Bias F. Ople, Region IV Administrator David P. San Pedro said the amount increased by P4.9 million over the previous year’s total. He said 9,589 workers benefited from the payments as compared to 9,135 beneficiaries in the preceding year. A total of P39,504,612 in restitutions of various benefits to some 14,500 workers was paid by the regional office during the period, according to Administrator San Pedro.
GUIDELINES for the prompt disposition of compensation cases pending before the workmen’s compensation units in the Workmen’s Compensation Commission and in the 12 labor regional offices were issued by the Department of Labor. Department Order No. 3, which was issued by Labor Secretary Blas F. Ople, provides that amicable settlement of all claims shall be free and voluntary, written in a language known to parties, and final and binding between them. The order likewise provides that should the parties fail to arrive at a settlement, a decision shall be rendered within three working days thereafter if the evidence on record is sufficient to support the decision. Otherwise, the case shall be heard and decided on the merits.
So 1 have ordered the suspension of the exports of coconut oil pending the organization of a Board of Coconut exports.
The price of coconut oil was depressed from $0.60 to $0.50 a pound in 30 days. We could lose $50 million in six months at this rate.
I have also made mandatory the P50 cost of living allowance for the private sector.
We have to work on a program of raw materials diplomacy.