(My Birthday)
The cry of happiness of two of the poorest families in Cabasan, Masantol, Pampanga when they started to look into the envelopes I had left with them as a gift and I had left their house to cross the waters surrounding their shack—was one of the best birthday gifts I received today.
And the whispered comments among the rice planters at Apalit (l saw some people planting rice and landed by helicopter to participate, had taken off my shirt and shoes as well as rolled up my trousers to go into the knee-deep mud of the rice paddies):
“Is that not Marcos?”
“No, he looks too young, he must be a security. He looks husky and muscular. Marcos is slim.”
“But he has no gun (walang cargada).”
“Marcos is now 57. This man looks too young.”
And giving free reign to my impatience for the bureaucratic red tape by the planners and implementers of the big industrial projects—during the cabinet meeting which I caught up with
Official Gazette for September 11, 1974: RELEASE from political detention of former opposition Senator Jose W. Diokno, along with four other who had been taken into government custody upon the proclamation of Martial Law was ordered by the President. The four others are: former Secretary Eleuterio Adevoso, Angel Baking, Antolin Oreta Jr., and Benjamin Guingona. All of the detainees signed a pledge of loyalty to the Constitution and the Republic.
THE PRESIDENT marked his 57th birth anniversary by working with the people in the barrios, releasing political detainees and meeting with his Cabinet on urgent problems including the need to cut power costs. Starting at daybreak, the President flew to three towns in Pampanga where he ate breakfast with fisherfolk, led the blasting of an illegal dike and helped in the replanting of a ricefield damaged by floods, and then surveyed the Bulacan-Nueva Ecija road construction before meeting with the Cabinet. Meeting with the Cabinet towards noon, he: 1) Decreed cuts on power for all consumers; 2) Raised the ceiling of housing loans from the Social Security System from P30,000 to P50,000 per applicant, effective immediately; 3) Created the Philippine Foreign Loan Guarantee Corporation to secure capital inflows into the country; and 4) Directed the Philippine National Bank to come to the rescue of the wood industry and; indirectly, some 4,000 to 5.000 laborers who had been displaced as a result of certain difficulties being met by the industry.
THE PRESIDENT enjoined all bus operators to field all new units as fast as they are finished by local assemblers in order to improve the transportation service. “I want nothing better on my birthday than to see all transportation companies provide an effective and efficient service to the people,” the President told Justo de Dios, president of the Bus Operators Association of the Philippines. De Dios had come to Malacañang to show the first 15 new buses ready for duty under the financing arrangement made by the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Manila Transit Corporation with truck suppliers.
at 11:30 AM from my Central Luzon sortie.
But the best of all was the canned (slides and taped audio explaining the presentation) Philippine economy briefing prepared by my children. Voices were Bongbong and Irene. Imee masterminded the whole presentation.
I also received their cards which I attach.
Isidro Saceda has come to tell me we should be able to meet with Nur Misuari in Manila by the end of the month.
The rebel leaders have gone to Sabah apparently for a conference.
And the Indonesians have sent a man to Sabah apparently to contact the rebels have told Amb. [Modesto] Farolan I prefer to deal with the rebels directly without the intervention of anyone.
I received his called report which I attach.
It is unknown where this and succeeding paragraphs come from because the second page at least is missing.