April 12, 1973

[1] Official Gazette for April 13, 1973: THE PRESIDENT assured the country’s inventors of a “new deal” that will extend them organizational and financial assistance—from both the government and the private sector—in the production and marketing of their worthwhile inventions. The Chief Executive, there­fore, directed all government financing institutions and the private sector to immediately formulate a more intelligent and liberal policy to provide easy and reasonable credit to inventors. Speaking at the Maharlika Hall in Malacañang during the awarding ceremonies capping the celebration of Filipino Inventors’ Week, the President announced the blueprint providing fund support and incentives to inventors, whom he emphasized should be bailed out from the seeming apathy and neglect. The President enjoined the Filipino Inventors Society and the National Science Development Board to bring to his attention any government financing institution disregarding his order. The President said easier credit for inventors is also in consonance with the New Society’s aim to create a strong middle class which will not only be able to earn its living but to create and produce enough so that it can foster greater growth in the country. THE FIRST LADY lauded the launching of the “Alay Lakad 73” as the beginning of a fine partnership between the government and the private sector for the cause of the country’s underprivileged youth. The “Alay Lakad ’73” is sponsored by the Philippine Jaycees with the support of other government and private entities. Speaking at the kick-off ceremony of the project at the Maharlika Hall of Malacañang, the First Lady declared that the campaign reaffirms the government’s commitment to the less privileged youths’ emancipation from poverty, indifference and ignorance and “his emergence as the new Filipino—strong in spirit, rich in ideals and staunch in heart.” She appealed to all concerned to help the government in its effort to improve the lot of the less fortunate Filipino youth and assured that she and the President will do their share in behalf of the less privileged members of society. SECRETARY OF INFORMATION Francisco S. Tatad said the new graduates must gear their idealism and moral purpose in evolving a New Society. The secretary told the graduating class of the Philippine Women’s University that the government expects the youth to help imbue in their respective communities and the nation “a strong ethical sentiment and a serious moral purpose.” The secretary said that the basis of the highest type of genius is “the unity of thought and action: the ability to be thinker and doer at the same time.” He declared that the idealism of the contemporary leaders in the Philippines is also “unfailing practical and pragmatic.” Mr. Tatad said that forming a New Society involves a medium of personal sacrifice, obedience to the law and the much deeper unity of sharing the work and responsibility which living in a community entails, so that the comfort, health, welfare and security of those who live in the community are ensured. THE PRESIDENT assured that every peso paid in taxes will be spent in infrastructure projects, social services and investments that will bring about the country’s growth and development. In stressing this point at the nationwide radio-tv program, “Pulong-pulong sa Kaunlaran”, the Chief Executive said, “we want taxes to become the direct expression of our collective will to progress.” At the same time, the President called on all Filipinos to file their income tax returns, noting that while government collection of income taxes has been increasing through the years, the number of income tax filers still remains far from ideal. DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN Affairs announced that the 29th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, held in Geneva, Switzerland, has adopted a resolution declaring and punishing apartheid as a crime against humanity. Foreign Undersecretary Jose D. Ingles, who was elected chairman of the working group that drafted the convention on suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid, reported that the resolution is an important contribution to the development of international penal law. The Commission on Human Rights, which adjourned on April 6, adopted 24 resolutions (12 of which require action by the UN Economic and Social Commission). Among these were: 1) A resolution on the question of punishment of war criminals and of persons who have committed crimes against humanity. 2) A resolution on a Decade for Action to Combat Rascism and Racial Discrimination. 3) Resolutions on questions of violation of human rights in territories occupied as a result of hostilities in the Middle East. 4) Draft principles relating to equality in administration of justice. 5) A study of discrimination against persons born out of wedlock and non-discrimination in respect to such persons. 6) Realization of economic, social and cultural rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. SECRETARY OF FINANCE Cesar E. A. Virata issued the rules and regulations covering the release of internal revenue allotments to local governments, as provided for under Presidential Decree No. 144. The regulations provide for the release in full amounts of the respective shares of the local governments, thereby eliminating the incurrence of deficiencies in allotments commonly experienced under the old procedures. The Bureau of Internal Revenue will now determine the amount of monthly internal revenue allotments of provinces, cities and municipalities. The rules and regulations further provide: 1) That 20 per cent of such collection shall accrue to the local governments to be distributed among provinces, cities and municipalities as follows: 30 per cent to provinces; 45 per cent to municipalities; and 25 per cent to cities. 2) The share of each local government unit shall be apportioned as follows: 70 per cent on the basis of population as shown by the latest official census; 20 per cent in proportion to the land area; and 10 per cent to be apportioned equally among municipalities, cities and provinces. 3) The basis of internal revenue allotments shall be the national internal revenue taxes, not otherwise accruing to special funds and special accounts in the general fund, collected during the third fiscal year preceding the current fiscal year. For fiscal year 1974, 1975 and 1976, the annual allotment of any local government shall not increase by more than 15 per cent nor be decreased by more than 50 per cent of its actual allotment during the fiscal year 1970-1971. Beginning July 1, 1973, the actual collections in the locality will no longer be a factor determining the amounts of internal revenue allotments to be released to each local government unit. Instead, at the end of every month, the treasury field cashiers shall draw check equivalent to the authorized 1 12 animal allotments as determined by the BIR prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. CENTRAL BANK announced that the country’s international reserve has increased to an unprecedented $462.5 million at the end of the first quarter of the year along with a general improvement in all sectors of the economy. This was reported by Central Bank Governor Gregorio S. Licaros to the President in his assessment of the performance of the economy during the first three months of 1973. Mr. Licaros reported that, after the unusual stresses encountered in the first nine months of 1972, the economy started to recover soon after Martial Law was proclaimed and continued to improve considerably through January-March, 1973. During the period under review, the CB governor also noted the strong performance of the external sector while developments in the monetary and fiscal sectors resulted in the growth of domestic credits of the monetary system and the improvement in the cash position of the national government. There were also indications, he added, of relative stability of domestic prices particularly during the early part of the quarter. AFP CENTRAL MINDANAO Command has reported that demoralized rebel forces in Cotabato are now sending feelers to the Government for possible surrender under the extended amnesty decree for outlaws in Mindanao (Presidential Decree No. 95). This was revealed by Brig. Gen. Fortunato Abat, Cemcom commander, in a report to Brig. Gen. Cicero O. Campos, PC deputy chief of staff for home defense, during the latters three-day survey of peace and order conditions in the insurgent-infested areas in Mindanao. Gen. Abat said that the insurgents in Cotabato are now surrounded in one area by military forces, adding that their proposed surrender is now the subject of a series of conferences between military officers and Cotabato Muslim leaders. The Cemcom commander also revealed that the rebels, after being driven to the hills by military forces with the determined support of civilian home defense units, “now realize that they cannot even win the sympathy of the civilian populace.” NATIONAL MANPOWER and Youth Council has announced the recruitment of trainees for the second basic pre-employment course at the National Manpower Skills Center in Fort Bonifacio, Rizal. Entrance examination will be conducted at 9:30 a.m. daily from June 4 to June 8, Out-of-school youth and unemployed adults who are 17 years old and above and who have at least finished high school are qualified to take the test. The basic pre-employment course, which will start in July, will train some unemployed young adults in machine-fitting, automotive mechanics, electronics, and electricity to prepare them for created employment. Training will be conducted for the first six to ten months in the center followed by another two to eight months on-the-job training in selected industries where trainees may be employed after the training period.

[2] Official Gazette for April 14, 1973: THE PRESIDENT said the Government will soon embark on the pioneer production of small aircrafts to compliment the program to modernize strategically-situated airports in various points of the country. The President spelled this out during the inauguration of the extended airport runway in Bacolod City. The improved runway is one of the first projects completed in the Government’s crash program to modernize and energize domestic aviation. In a speech read for him by Department of Public Works, Transportation and Communications Secretary David M. Consunji, the President lauded the people and city officials of Bacolod for taking the initiative in modernizing its airport facilities Aside from extending the runway to accommodate bigger planes the project also involved the completion of an aerodrome tower. The President said that the production of small or light aircraft will be undertaken by the Philippine Air Force. SECRETARY OF INFORMATION Francisco S. Tatad said the Philippine experiment in Martial Law is an example for the world because it involved the restructuring and relocation of responsibilities and privileges “without the terrible cost and waste of bloodshed and violence.” Speaking at the commencement exercises of the Bicol University in Legaspi City, where he was conferred the degree of humanities honoris causa, the secretary noted that in other countries where governments use extraordinary powers to deal with vested groups and fanatical ideologies, the restructuring of society is accomplished at the cost of terrible anguish to the people. But in the Philippines, Secretary Tatad said, the government set an example, not of brutality and repression but of humanity, clemency and accommodation. THE PRESIDENT has approved the recommendation of the secretary of national defense to maintain the old price ceiling of P1.25 per lineal foot for the common 31 gauge GI sheets being use for roofing by low-income groups. Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile also announced that the new price ceiling gauge of 26 GI sheets at P2.30 per lineal foot shall take effect on April 16. The new price gauge 26 GI sheets shall be the old price ceiling prescribed by the local control council, plus P.45 per lineal foot, outside the Greater Manila Area. The President, on recommendation of the Steel Committee, has earlier approved the price increase of gauge 26 GI sheets to help the steel rollers and galvanizers from incurring big losses in view of the increase in the price of steel raw materials and other base metal used for galvanizing. CENTRAL BANK’S Monetary Board approved a credit system to be known as “money shops” for the benefit of the average Filipino consumer. A brainchild of the Philippine Commercial and Industrial Bank, the novel credit system was approved by the Monetary Hoard because it will provide credit to the grassroots level and to as wide as a base as possible with benefits to the average Filipino consumer. The “PCI Bank’s Money Shops” will be established in large public markets offering working capital or inventory financing to stallholders up to a maximum of P10,000. For this pioneering effort, the MB gave PCIB preemptive rights to establish the “money shops” for a period of six months, after which other banks may follow suit. THE PRESIDENT has promulgated Presidential Decree No. 174 extending the tax amnesty to May 31, specifically for taxpayers residing abroad and in six Mindanao provinces and Isabela. The decree grants amnesty on persons who may declare their hidden wealth or untaxed income up to May 31 because of their earlier failure to avail themselves of the amnesty “due to fortuitous events such as unstable peace and order conditions.” The Mindanao provinces covered by the new decree included Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Cotabato and South Cotabato. The decree further covers residents of the cities of Basilan, Zamboanga, Pagadian, Dipolog, Cotabato, Gen. Santos, Iligan and Marawi. THE PHILIPPINES will acquaint the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the real facts in Mindanao during the forthcoming ministerial meeting in Pattaya, Thailand. In a statement before his departure for Thailand, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo said that he would also express the concern of the Philippine government over the interference of certain foreign countries to encourage secessionist tendencies in the Muslim areas. Mr. Romulo said that he would explain to the 10 nation conference both the short-term reconstruction programs and long-term development projects of the Philippine government to bring the benefits of progress to the entire Muslim populace of Mindanao. GENERAL IMPORTS Ltd., a worldwide shoe-importing enterprise, has allocated $50 million for the import of Philippine-made shoes over a four year period. The commitment was made to the President by David Graves and Joel Glasman, president and chairman, respectively, of the board of governors of Genesco Imports Ltd., during a call at Malacañang. The shoe import executives told the President that after making a survey and finding investments climates in the Philippines very favorable, they have decided to make the Philippines their base of operation in Asia. The shoe import executives said Genesco has programmed some $50 million for imports from the Philippines and has already purchased an initial shipment worth P300,000. BUREAU OF CENSUS and Statistics listed Rizal, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Manila and Cotabato as the five most populated provinces and city in the country. The statistics also projected the population will hit the 50-million mark by 1980. The list of the 12 most populated places in the country and their present population are as follows: Rizal— 3,429,616; Cebu—1,758,212; Negros Occidental—1,562,235; Pangasinan—1,481,341; Cotabato—1,286,425; Iloilo—-1,247,656; Leyte—1,146,559; Zamboanga del Sur—1,145,657; Quezon—1,105,978; Batangas— 1,023,466; and Pampanga—1,012,864. The BCS projected a revised list for 1980 though Rizal, Cebu Manila and Negros Occidental will still be in the five most populous. The projection showed that Rizal will have 5,209,715 residents; Cebu—2,063,065; Manila—1,743,522; Pangasinan—1,711,078; Negros Occidental—1,696,266; Cotabato—1,690,679; Iloilo–1,444,494; Zamboanga del Sur—1,429,772; Quezon—1,427,869; Pampanga—1,288,882; Batangas— 1,278,962; and Leyte—1,225,730. NATIONAL GRAINS Authority has directed all restaurant owners in the country to help in the nationwide rice conservation campaign. Statistics of the Directorate for Grains Economics of the NGA showed that a total of 23,500 sacks of rice is being wasted daily, costing the country P475 million a year. Mr. Tanchanco asked restaurant owners to submit a written report of the rice conservation efforts every three months.

[3] It is unknown where this text comes from, because this entry is missing.