March 1, 1973

[1] Official Gazette for March 2, 1973: THE PRESIDENT received the officials of two foreign oil companies, one Australian and the other American, who are at present negotiating with local companies to enter into a service contract with the government for oil prospecting and drilling. The oil executives headed by-Eric Webb, president of Endeavour Oil of Melbourne, Australia, and Tom Holt, vice president of Super Oil of Austin, Texas, USA, are negotiating with Philex , Baguio Gold Mining, Philippines Overseas and Sabina Mining, for oil drilling operations in the Sulu Sea which they described as the “ hottest spot ” for offshore oil drilling. The officials informed the President that they have already selected the drilling sites and will start operations in three to four months. The government will receive 60 per cent of the net profit while the remaining 40 per cent which is tax free will be shared by the members of the consortium of oil drillers and concession holders. THE PRESIDENT directed Highway Commissioner Baltazar Aquino to speed up the completion of the roads within the vicinity of Manila, and other priority projects particularly in Mindanao, such as the 209-kilometer Cotabato City-General Santos road. During his conference with Commissioner Aquino, the President also directed that: 1) Loggers along the Marbel-Lapulapu segment of the Cotabato City-General Santos road remove their logs which are blocking road construction, before the end of the month and to pay for damages for roads and bridges caused by them. 2) The Philippine Constabulary immediately to stop logging operations in the Mt. Matutum forest reservation which has been declared off-limits to loggers since three, years back. TARGET TAX revenue growth of 6.5 per cent for fiscal year 1973; ending June 30, may be surpassed in view of the tax reforms instituted by the President, according to the 1972 annual report of the National Tax Research Center (formerly Joint Legislative-Executive Tax Commission). Noting that a series of natural calamities and the deceleration of the export or stabilization tax had caused a decline in tax collection efforts (ratio of total tax revenue to Gross National Product) in 1972, the NTRC observed that tax reforms became imperative.to close the revenue-expenditure gap. Additional revenue from the tax reforms, among others, is expected to close or at least narrow the “ gap ” between revenues and expenditures. The NTRC also noted that in 1971 the tax effort (defined as the ratio of revenue to Gross National Product) has amounted to 11.9 per cent. This slipped down slightly to 11.7, per cent in 1972. This is attributed to the deceleration of the export or stabilization tax by P102 million. In addition to the tax reforms already instituted by the President through various tax decrees, the NTEG recommended further revisions of the National Internal Revenue Code and the Tariff and Customs Code. It also recommended the reexamination of the laws covering real property taxation, and the transfer of certain taxes now collected by the national government to the local governments. THE PHILIPPINES has been officially invited to participate in the Expo ‘ 74 World ’ s Fair to be held in Spokane, Washington, from May to. October 1974, according to the Department of Trade and Tourism. The fair is geared to the theme of ecology, or the preservation of the natural elements of the environment. It will be the first world ’ s fail in the United States within this decade. DTT authorities recommended Philippine participation in the fair for the following reasons: 1) It is an opportune time to maintain and enhance the position of Philippine export products in the US market in view of the termination of the Laurel-Langley Agreement in 1974. 2) Expo ‘ 74 will be a propitous stage to display the gains made in the social, political and economic fields under the New Society; and 3) Expo ‘ 74 will be an excellent medium for the exposure of Philippine tourist attractions. PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY has been organized under the Department of Public Information and is now in operation, DPI Secretary Francisco S. Tatad announced. He said that the PNA is operating on a limited scale from the former offices of the defunct Philippine News Service at the National Press Club building on Magallanes Drive in Port Area, Manila. “ Initially the news agency is servicing the major print and radio media in the Manila area, ” Secretary Tatad said, “ Expansion plans call for the organization of a nationwide and international teletype network, ” he said. Two former Philippines Herald editors—Jose Pavia and Renato Tiangco—will manage the PNA, as part of the newly created Bureau of National and Foreign Information.

[2] It is unknown where this paragraph until “So I have decided…” come from, because the second page of this entry is missing.

[3] Official Gazette for March 3, 1973: THE PRESIDENT issued Presidential Decree No. 143 prescribing a weekly rest period for workers in any undertaking or enterprise, whether for profit or not, by authorizing employers to determine and schedule the weekly rest day for their employes , subject to collective bargaining agreement and to such rules and regulations, as the secretary of labor may prescribe. The decree orders every employer to give his employes a rest period of not less than 24 consecutive hours of each period of given days. In cases of force majeure, public emergencies, serious accidents and other exceptional cases as determined by the secretary of labor, any employe may be required to work on his scheduled rest day provided he is paid an additional compensation of at least 25 per cent of Ilia regular wage. If such work falls on a Sunday, the employee shall fee entitled to additional compensation of at least 25 per cent of his regular wage for work performed on Sunday. The decree, which takes effect immediately, repeals all provisions of existing laws, orders, and regulations contrary, to or inconsistent with it. MALACAÑANG ISSUED Presidential Decree No. 140 formalizing the retirement for the registration of xerox and other copying-machines and setting a new deadline for complying with the new directive. The decree, signed by the President March 2, 1973, modifies an earlier order issued by the Bureau of Standards for Mass Media, requiring owners of xerox and other copying machines to register with the BSMM .at the Beneficial Life Bldg., in Intramuros, Manila, not later than March 15. PD No. 140 sets the deadline on March 17, or 15 days from the date of the signing of the decree (March 2, 1973). In issuing the decree, the President notes that xerox and other copying machines or equipment have been utilized for the production of subversive propaganda materials and in the falsification of letters. PHILIPPINE MEDICAL CARE COMMISSION (PMCC) issued guidelines for the hospital admission of the legal dependents of members of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS). The guidelines are as follows: 1) The GSIS and SSS member should present to the hospital his employer ’ s medicare contribution certification; 2) The SSS member should present to the hospital a xerox copy of his Member ’ s Record (SSS Form E-l) or his Member ’ s Record of Additional Dependent (SSS Form E-4) depending on which form the legal dependent to be hospitalized is listed; and the GSIS member, likewise, should present the duplicate copy of the GSIS Information for Medicare Membership. 3) If the above stated GSIS and SSS papers are not available at the time the dependent is to be hospitalized, the GSIS or SSS member should present a document signed by him which: a) Certifies that the person whom he claims to be his legal dependent is indeed his legal dependent; and b) The signature of the GSIS or SSS member on the same sheet of paper wherein the certification is written. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR has this timely reminder for job applicants seeking employment abroad: “ Beware of illegal recruiters or hirers who promise overseas jobs that may not exist at all, and who exact fabulous sums of money from unwary applicants. ” The warning was made by the department upon receipt of numerous complaints about the nefarious activities of job recruiters including some travel agencies still operating outside the pale of the law. Not a few people have been victimized, in Manila and the provinces. Applicants are advised to apply for jobs only with recruiters licensed or authorized by the labor department ’ s office of Manpower Services. Some 68 recruiters have already been authorized to recruit for overseas jobs, while 37 recruiters have pending applications to recruit. Before applying for overseas jobs, applicants should consult the OMS on whether a recruiter is licensed or not for their own benefit. SECRETARY OF INFORMATION Francisco S. Tatad assured the petroleum dealers throughout the country government support for the solution of their problems, particularly with respect to their reasonable margin profit now threatened by the new policies enforced by the major oil companies in the Philippines. Mr. Tatad said the Administration has always been for the protection of the interest of the consuming public, in keeping with the policy of the government. He added that in case of conflict of interest between small groups of businessmen and the big corporations, the government will side with the just and the legitimate demands of the small businessman.

[4] Official Gazette for March 4, 1973: THE FIRST LADY called upon the nation ’ s artists “ to push forward across new frontiers and open up new territories in the quest for a new and better society, ” In a brief speech before officers and members of the Art Association of the Philippines, the First Lady urged the artists to “ help create a new world . . . where our traditions and our values will be at home . . . one that will be uniquely and honestly Filipino. ” The First Lady was at the AAP ’ s award ceremony held at the Maharlika hall of Malacañang in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the association. At the ceremony, some 31 artists were awarded plaques for accomplishments which served to advance the cause of art in the country. SECRETARY CONRADO F. ESTRELLA of Agrarian Reform emphasized that in agrarian reform, the important thing is not land transfer per se but the equitable distribution of natural wealth; not the profits to be derived from the land, but justice for the farmer who works to make the land profitable. In an address before a seminar sponsored by the Quezon Board of Realtors, the secretary cautioned his audience to understand fully the underlying rationale of the agrarian reform program “ or all our efforts to build a New Society might be imperilled . ” It was stressed that the attainment of land reform objectives is premised on the establishment of owner- cultivatorship and the economic family-size farm as the basis of Philippine agriculture. FINALLY SETTLED is the controversial issue of whether personal cultivation by the landowner or a member of his family is a ground for ejecting a tenant. In a precedent-setting decision, the Court of Appeals has ruled that a tenant-farmer may now continue working under the leasehold system despite the threat of ejection by the landowner who wants to cultivate the land personally. The court decision was made in the case of a landowner who instituted legal action to expel his tenant who was cultivating a one-and-one-half hectare of rice land in San Pablo, Aliaga , Nueva Ecija. The decision was a reversal of a previous ruling by the Court of Agrarian Relations made two years ago in Cabanatuan City, ordering the tenant to vacate the land he was tilling. The court decision was hailed by Department of Agrarian Reform officials who called it a boon to the government ’ s land reform program. ADMINISTRATOR Jesus Tanchanco of the National Grains Authority appealed for the support of local government leaders in the task of institutionalizing the grains industry as a means of hastening the coun­try ’ s economic and social development. Addressing the fourth annual convention of the League of Provincial Governors and City Mayors in Davao City, the NGA chief said that the local officials are in good position to advice the NGA on the wisdom of its projects since the local executives “ know best the conditions obtaining in your respective places. ” The convention delegates were told to write down their suggestions affecting the rice and corn industry in their regions to serve as guidelines in the formulation of policies for the growth and development of the industry. They were also exhorted to encourage their constituents to eat more vegetables and change their wasteful habits which are costing the country some $50 million annually.

[5] Official Gazette for March 5, 1973: THE PRESIDENT and the First Lady led Philippine government officials and other groups in welcoming the two Filipino prisoners of war who arrived at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga together with American and German POW ’ s. The President flew to the American base to personally welcome Conrado Badua and Arturo Balagot , the two returning POW ’ s from Hanoi. Accompanying the President, aside from the First Lady, were Secretary of Information Francisco S. Tatad and Secretary of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile. In a brief speech following the welcome of Badua and Balagot , the President thanked the United States military and civilian authorities, as well as the American people for extending to the two Filipino POW ’ s the same facilities gi ven to released American POW’s. THE PRESIDENT lauded the boy scouts movement for giving underprivileged and out-of-school youths an opportunity to improve themselves and to participate in community development activities. In a speech read for him by Secretary of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile during the launching of the 10th Regional Jamborette at the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in Gattaran , Cagayan, the Chief Executive observed that the new projects of the scouting movement are geared to provide the less privileged boys training for big, significant tasks. It was stressed that the jamborette in Cagayan is in line with the principles of the New Society of building a new order where the people may live in justice, peace, dignity and prosperity. He informed the scouts that he has directed all heads of departments, bureaus and agencies of the government, including the local governments, to extend the fullest support to the movement and its various projects. BUREAU OF FORESTRY, the Reforestation Administration, and the Parks and Wildlife Office have been abolished and in their place, the Bureau of Forest Development has been created to achieve maximum efficiency in the protection and conservation of the nation ’ s forest resources. The functions of the new bureau include the following: economical, efficient and effective classification, protection and conservation of public forests and forests reserves; implementation of multi-use and sustained-yield management of public forest; preparation of a comprehensive program of forest research; protection, development and preservation of national parks, games, and wildlife laws; and the carrying out of a continuing program of kaingin management within the public forests; AGRICULTURAL CREDIT Administration has launched a massive drive to raise the viability of some 355 farmers cooperatives operating in strategic sections of the country. The drive, started last month, was initially launched in Eastern Visayas and in the northwestern part of Mindanao comprising the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte. The immediate objectives of the campaign are the following: to maximize loan collections; to change erring management officials; to eliminate non-farmers from membership in the cooperatives; and to select cooperatives for concentrated build-up. The ACA also announced the suspension of its functions of organizing and registering farmers cooperatives and associations pending the promulgation of the necessary policies and procedures by the newly organized Bureau of Cooperative Development under the Department of Local Government and Community Development. The new bureau is charged with the promotion, organization, and registration of all types of cooperatives.