Finished golf at 10:00 PM as I had to tape an interview by MOPC with Max[imo] Soliven as a moderator and [Teodoro] Doroy Valencia, John Nance and Emil Jurado as interrogators—up to 7:30 PM. Poor [Geronimo] Ronnie Velasco waited since 5:00 PM to play [golf] with me.
Came from Tuguegarao where I spent the whole morning. Left at 8:00 AM and arrived at the NAB at 2:15 after a one hour flight. The reception was tumultuous and the people scratched my hands in an effort to shake hands with me. Felt like the campaign all over again but of course that was the north.
I explained the need to spend the new special fund of P10 million (P3.5 m of which goes to Cagayan Valley as Ex-Sen. [Rodolfo] Ganzon had insisted in dividing the lump sum with the Visayas and Mindanao which do not produce tobacco—Ganzon had grown overbearing and irascible and so lost in the last elections) properly so we an
Official Gazette for April 2, 1970: President Marcos made a flying trip to Tuguegarao, Cagayan, where he conferred with local officials on projects, problems, and particularly on the initiatives for elevating the standards of tobacco growing and processing so that local tobacco may compete successfully in the world market. Leaving Malacañang early in the morning, the President arrived in Tuguegarao to a warm welcome, and then spoke at a huge rally in the public plaza. He received pledges of confidence and support from the region’s leaders, and from various citizens in the province.
After a series of conferences with local officials, the President flew back to Manila, arriving early in the afternoon. Resuming his schedule, the President first worked on state papers, then took time off to sign into law Senate Bill No. 194 (H. No. 938), otherwise known as the Price Control Bill, which fixes the maximum selling price of essential articles or commodities, and creates a Price Control Council which will carry out the aims and purposes of the law. Present at the signing ceremony were Senators Dominador Aytona, Wenceslao Lagumbay and Alejandro Almendras, Rep. Constantino Navarro, Secretary of Commerce and Industry Ernesto M. Maceda and Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr.
He worked in his study for the rest of the afternoon, and through evening.
Earlier, the President directed that immediate studies be made towards streamlining present procedures in the processing and issuance of land titles. Towards this end, he ordered the creation of a Management Audit Committee to undertake this task, giving it up to May 30, this year to submit its report and recommendations. The committee will be composed of a representative each from the PES-DND Computer Center (Camp Aguinaldo), the Management Services of the Budget Commission, and the Bureau of Lands, which issues land titles.
The President also created a Committee to take charge of preparations for the inauguration of the Dambana ng Kagitingan, a shrine to Filipino heroes, built on Mt. Samat in Bataan, on April 9. With Defense Undersecretary Manuel Q. Salientes as Chairman and Commissioner Gregorio Araneta of the Board of Travel and Tourist Industry as vice-chairman, the committee members are: Rizalino.P. Lacuna of the Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor; Public Works Undersecretary Mariano Dy Reyes; General Manuel Yan, AFP chief of staff; Director Jose Viado of the Parks and Wildlife Office; and Col. Manuel A. Acosta, secretary.
increase our exports of native tobacco as we are converting Virginia tobacco into an export crop.
We must also put up a cigar-rolling factory in the Cagayan Valley. The Valley is rich and it has the longest cement road and the biggest number of long bridges in the Philippines.
I signed the Price Control Bill into law at 3:00 PM.
But we must pass the export tax bill so as to stabilize the currency and the prices. [Jose] Joe Roy and [Jose] Diokno are against it so I must confer with them tomorrow. Wonder what their game is.
Imelda is at the Cultural Center attending the presentation of the Warsaw Philharmonic and giving them a reception afterwards. She laughingly said that she will be with the leftists tonight.
I have found a place where Bongbong can go hunting. This is the hacienda of Luis Gonzales, one half of which has been bought by Cong. David Puzon. There is a lake full of ducks and to the east he can hunt deer and wild pig on a drive blind. Incidentally the Gonzales Hacienda of 3,000 hectares is near the Madrigal hacienda which are both at Luwain, Kalinga-Apayao. We pass it by helicopter on the way from Isabela to Tabuk. But Bongbong will have to watch out for malaria.
[Jose] Joe Maristela says it may be difficult for him to testify against the group of [Eleuterio] Terry Adevoso. He suggests that they be handled in a more peaceful way so that they may not continue with their plan of assassination.
VPres. [Fernando] Lopez has just rejected my offer for him to be chairman of the Price Control Council. This seems to jibe with the boast of the plotters that they are in touch with him and the editorials of the Chronicle have given substance to my fears that the Lopezes are in on the plot to assassinate me.