Official Gazette for April 11, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS resumed his regular schedule of activities, paced by his inauguration of the first two units of bunker-type houses constructed by the National Housing Corporation (NHC) at the customs area in North Bay Boulevard for the temporary retention of the fire victims in Tondo.
The emergency housing complex was designed to house some 3,000 families.
The President inspected the bunker-type houses after attending an Easter Sunday Mass with the fire victims at the chapel of the Don Bosco Youth Center in Tondo. With the President were the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos; their children Irene and Bongbong, Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., Budget Commissioner Faustino Sy-Changco, Senator Helena Benitez, chairman of the Senate committee on housing, urban development and resettlement; Press Secretary Francisco S. Tatad, Assistant Executive Secretary Roberto V. Reyes and Undersecretary of Health Clemente Gatmaitan.
In the course of his brief remarks before the Tondo fire victims, the President invited their leaders, including those of other civic organizations, to a meeting in Malacañang with national and city officials concerned with the Tondo rehabilitation work.
Back in Malacañang, the President signed the appointment papers of Estefania Aldaba-Lim, a Malacañang special consultant on community services, as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare, vice Secretary Gregorio M. Feliciano, who has resigned.
Undersecretary Petra R. de Joya of the DSW was designated to discharge the duties of secretary in the absence of Dr. Lim, who had left for an official mission abroad.
Toward noon the President received General Abdul Haris Nasution, chairman of the Provisional People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia, who arrived in Manila for a six-day official visit to this country. Mrs. Nasution was likewise received by the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos.
They were accompanied to Malacañang by Senate President and Mrs. Gil J. Puyat, Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo and Indonesian Ambassador and Mrs. Utomo.
Later, the President met with Senate President Puyat and Speaker Villareal, during which the three agreed on the need for action on vital measures pending in Congress, particularly those designed to increase production. They also agreed on a moratorium on intramurals to enable both chambers of Congress to devote the remaining days of the regular session to fruitful legislation.
In another conference, this time with Justice Undersecretary Catalan; Macaraig and prisons officials, the President directed that strict disciplinary measures be instituted to prevent the recurring violence at the state penitentiary in Muntinglupa, Rizal. He also:
1. Directed the Philippine Navy to transfer qualified prisoners to Iwahig, Davao and Sablayan Penal Colonies;
2. Authorized the transfer of prisoners to army camps as a temporary measure until the restoration of normal conditions at the New Bilibid Prisons;
3. Released P200,000 to set up additional building where prisoners can be housed; and
4. Ordered the allocation of 40 prefabricated school buildings establishment of a medium security compound for 3,000 prisoners who, the President said, should have their own administration office, vocational shops, kitchen and mess, hospital, library and recreation hall.
In his Easter message in English and Pilipino, the President said:
(ENGLISH)
We share anew today a special day of hope and triumph with the rest of the Christian world.
Throughout its long history, mankind has always found in Easter a renascence of the spirit and a reawakening of moral energies.
In the timeless story of Christ’s death and resurrection, man has always found comfort in facing the vicissitudes of his world, and hope in the healing of his troubled spirit. To its great and glorious mystery, men have learned to look for deliverance from the darkest crises of their personal lives.
None of us can fail to appreciate the significance of this unique occasion, especially at this time when great tension troubles the whole of mankind, and great difficulty faces our country and people. The kind of work which we are now engaged in as a nation, and the fulfillment that Ave seek in our national life, need the kind of illumination and radiance, the sobriety and peace, that Easter uniquely brings to our individual lives.
Gen. [Abdul Haris] Nasution has arrived for a five-day stay in the Philippines. He was invited to be the guest speaker during the graduation of the Mindanao State University in Marawi City on April 15th.
He wrote the book on guerilla warfare based on the Indonesian experience. He told me this afternoon when I received him and his party at the Study that his book was translated in Cairo with his permission but translated in the PENTAGON WITHOUT his permission.
Gen. [Fabian] Ver whom I sent to meet him with Senate President Gil Puyat, Speaker Villareal, Sec. [Carlos] Romulo and Sec. [Juan] Ponce Enrile says that when Sen. Pres. Gil Puyat asked him whether he (Gen. Nasution) knew me well, he answered that “he did and had great respect for the man;” that we had a military background together but that my star had risen higher than his in politics; that he was my only guest when I received all my decorations in a formal parade and review in Camp Murphy; that we both come from Batac (his in the Batac of Java and mine of Ilocos Norte).
We heard mass at Tondo at 8:15 AM. There were demonstrators carrying hostile placards demanding titles to the land in Tondo. When we went to inspect and open the first two temporary bunker houses, they followed. But so did the crowd.
I thought that there would be an unpleasant confrontation. But when an Antonio David, the Executive Vice President of CTF approached me and started complaining in a loud voice about the men in government (the security guards of Nassco [National Shipyards and Steel Corporation] or Nawasa [National Water and Sewerage Authority]) being allowed to build houses in the vacant lots held by government. I took the opportunity of talking to the crowd mounting a platform and using the mike to tell them that I had come to look into the alleged confusion of the government plans for them. What they cheered was when I told them that while the newspapers say that the government does not bother to ask them what they wanted, I had personally come to them to ask them what they wanted and that I would listen to their requests.
Of course at this time the red flags of KASAPI [Kapulungan ng mga Sandigan ng
My family and I join one and all in wishing each and everyone of you a very happy Easter.
(PILIPINO)
Magkaisa tayong nagsasaya ngayon sa muling pagsapit ng araw na ito—isang araw ng pag-asa at tagumpay.
Sa simula pa, ang Mahal na Araw ay laging sagisag ng masiglang pagkapukaw at pagkagising ng kabutihan ng sangkatauhan.
Sa walang katapusang kasaysayang ito ng pagkamatay at muling pagkabuhay ng Panginoon, ay walang katapusang dumadaloy ang kasiyahang loob upang ating harapin ang mga suliraning pandaigdig.
Sa kasaysayang ito ay walang katapusang nagmumula ang likas na pananalig, sa gitna man ng pinakamadilim na sandali ng ating buhay.
Walang sino mang maaaring hindi kumilala sa kahalagahan ng na-tatanging okasyong ito, laluna sa panahong ito na ligalig ang buong sangkatauhan, at maraming kahirapang tinatawid ang ating bayan at mga mamamayan.
Ang mga gawaing ginampanan natin ngayon bilang isang bansa, at ang katuparang hinahangad natin, para sa bansang ito ay nangangailangan ng ilaw at liwanag na tanging Mahal na Araw lamang ang makakapagbigay.
Ang aking mag-anak at ako ay kaisa ng lahat ngayon sa hangaring nawa’y sumaating lahat ang isang maligaya at mapayapang Linggo ng Muling Pagkabuhay.
Pilipinas] and the Kabataang Makabayan as well as the followers of Restituto de Leon were being waved at us at close quarters.
But after I had spoken for a few minutes and after I ordered Chief of Police [Gerardo] Tamayo not to allow the building of houses in the government lots (subject of the complaint of Antonio David) the leaders started to come up the platform and to shout that Restituto de Leon should come and that all the placards are unnecessary and should be put down.
So I invited all of them to come to the palace tomorrow at 10:00 AM to confer with all the government officials who had anything to do with the rehabilitation of Tondo in my presence. I told them I would invite Mayor [Antonio] Villegas, Dir. [Alejandro] Deleña, Gen. Tobias, the SSS [Social Security System], GSIS [Government Service Insurance System], NASSCO etc. I also invited [Rufino] Cardinal Santos or his representative.
I believe we will be able to solve the problems there. This morning the Tondo people agreed to the construction of roads in Bo. [Barrio] Magsaysay.
But the solution for the slums is to return the unproductive elements to the provinces to farm and to teach those who remained a living so they can be given jobs and can become productive units of our society.
This should be the orientations even of the Social Welfare Dept. and not just give out doles.