The force of nationalism has always been underestimated by the great powers. This they did again in Indo China—specially the United States.
Americans are still asking the question as “to why our (American) Vietnamese did not fight as well as the Vietnamese of the enemy (Hanoi or Viet Cong).”
Simply because the Americans can never accept the fact that their Vietnamese looked like American puppets while the Viet Minh and Vietcong, no matter how much aid Russia and China gave them, succeeded in giving the impression that they were nationalist fighter—revolutionaries and not reactionaries.
Fighting for country as against the foreign invader, fighting for the poor as against the rich, this has always been a great motivating force.
This is one reason, the American bases have to go before I and my administration look like the puppets of the Americans and lose the support of a nationalistic people and region.
This is one reason we have to go to Peking and normalize relations with China.
Then later to Moscow to normalize relations with Russia.
So we will disengage from the deathly embrace of the Americans without causing hostility and bringing about retaliation. For they can retaliate if they want to—most of the incoming investments and technology are American. So are most of the bases specially from the World bank and the Export-Import Bank. Our foreign trade is mostly with the Americans. We must change the pattern in all these. And we are slowly doing so.
Official Gazette for May 28, 1975: THE PRESIDENT authorized the initial release of P50 million for setting up of four prefabricate plants that will produce schoolbuilding components in strategic places in the country and speed up the construction of badly needed schoolrooms. The four plants, which will be under the direct supervision of the director of public works, will be put up in Manila, Northern Luzon, Mindanao and the Visayas. According to Presidential Decree No 703 issued by the President, the prefab schoolbuilding components produced by these plants shall be paid from the allotments for the construction of schoolbuildings to the various district and engineering offices of the Bureau of Public Works. A schoolbuilding Components Trust Fund is established under the decree to be constituted from income derived from the operation of these plants. This fund shall be spent solely for the operation and maintenance of these plants, including the construction of buildings, acquisition of equipment, like motor vehicles which may be needed from time to time, salaries and wages of personnel, and other operating expenses.