Official Gazette for April 24, 1973: THE PRESIDENT was apprised by the Trans World Airlines’ recognition of the tourism potentials of the Philippines which it has included in the “Getaway Orient Tour Series” for the first time. Joseph L. Brumit, TWA Vice-president, presented to the President a brochure on the $4.2 million orient tour program during a courtesy call in Malacañang. The program, which started last month, is expected to draw more tourists to the country. It features three tours and year-round monthly departure from the United States of at least 2,000 tourists yearly. The President expressed gratitude for the program and was confident that it will boost local tourism.
THE NEW SOCIETY has given the country a new image that is winning the respect and admiration of neighboring Asian countries. Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Carlos P. Romulo made this assessment during a panel discussion on the 6th ASEAN conference of foreign ministers held in Pattaya, Thailand, last April 16-18. Secretary Romulo said the fact that the Asian Forum, which is a proposal of the President, was unanimously approved showed “the confidence and respect that our Southeast Asian colleagues have in our New Society.” On the matter of the Asian Forum, Mr. Romulo stated that its approval was the outstanding achievement of the conference. The Forum, initially called the All Southeast Asian Nations Conference, will discuss matters of vital interest to the region, including the establishment of political and economic stability and social tranquility in this area of the world.
INFORMATION SECRETARY Francisco S. Tatad called on the trained manpower of the country to share its expertise with the rest of the people in order to accelerate national development. Speaking at the opening day of the Rural Broadcasting Week in Pasig, Rizal, the Secretary said the progress of the nation can be achieved fastest through a “share of expertise” program along with the fundamental “share the wealth” program. He asked the farmers to show their children pride in their own toil so that they would take up work, not as a punishment for the inferior or the unfortunate but as the self-expression of those who desire to create their own future. Paying a tribute to the rural broadcasters for choosing what he called “a real vocation in the service of our people,” Mr. Tatad lauded the program “Sanggunian sa Himpapawid” which was launched last December by the Department of Public Information through the Rural Broadcasters Council for agricultural workers. He said that despite the various dialects and geographical barriers that divide the masses, the rural broadcasters have been able to communicate to the people, because “theirs is a message of hope and salvation.”
FOR 11,927 farmers in the country, everything, including the meaning of the New Society, revolves around the plow and a piece of priceless document—the land transfer certificate. This number of tenant-tillers has received such certificates since the promulgation of the historic presidential decree on agrarian emancipation. A total of 412,619 tenant-tillers, who have been identified and interviewed, will soon be granted the same certificates. These official figures are included in the latest report which was submitted to the President by the Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado F. Estrella. The report also indicated that the parcellary mapping of lands with areas of 100 hectares and above had been completed and the sworn statements of 6,331 landowners in 33 provinces had been taken.
PERSONS INVOLVED in swindling and other crimes of deceit punishable under Article 315 and 316 of the Revised Penal Code will be arrested and detained. The President issued this directive in General Order No. 29 which amends General Order No. 2, dated September 22, 1972. Swindling or estafa, as defined under articles 315 and 316, involves crimes committed by any person who shall defraud another through unfaithfulness or abuse of confidence, false pretenses or fraudulent acts and means. Deceitful acts covered by the articles including the disposing of real property by any person who pretends to be the owner; the disposing of property falsely represented as free from its lawful possessor; the execution of fictitious contracts; the acceptance of compensation for services not rendered; and the disposing of properties by surety in a bond.
MANUFACTURERS HANOVER Trust, a large US-based banking institution, offered to form a consortium of American and European banks to extend a $100 million loan to finance some priority imports of the Philippine government. The offer was made to the President by Mr. Tristan Beplat, senior vice president of Manufacturers Hanover Trust, who was with two groups of American businessmen who called on the Chief Executive. The American businessmen informed the President of plans to expand investment in the country’s development program. They also offered to renegotiate on easier terms the reconstruction loan granted to the Philippines in 1970 and to extend further credit for the modernization of the country’s communication facilities.
TWA
Tristan Beplat
Videotaping of Pulong Pulong s Kaunlaran on the Mindanao Sulu conflict
The negotiations of Dr. [Alunan] Glang
Gov. [Carlos] Cajelo
Central Luzon Rehabilitation
President Soeharto’s message
BUREAU OF CUSTOMS collectors are now authorized to accept and process export documents and to allow immediate loading of export products except sugar and copra in their respective ports. This was announced by Customs Commissioner Rolando Geotina even as he ordered the holding of an intensive on-the-job training of customs collectors and examiners on the latest export regulations and procedures. The customs head warned customs personnel against any form of harrassment against exporters or undue delay in the processing of export .documents.
LAND APPLICANTS in far-flung areas of the country need no longer travel all the way down to Manila to follow up the verification and approval of land survey applications. The first groups to rid themselves of this time-consuming procedure included the residents of Region IX of the lands bureau in Zamboanga City. The signing of the land survey applications was held in simple ceremonies attended by local officials, district land officers and prominent Zamboanga residents.
ROLE OF THE country’s more than 125,000 farmers in the New Society will be the highlight of the farmers’ forthcoming convention in Baguio City from May 9 to 13. The three-day convention of the Federation of Farmers’ Association of the Philippines, Inc., which is under the auspices of the Bureau of Agricultural Extension, will have for its main speaker Secretary of Information Francisco S. Tatad, Secretary Arturo R. Tanco of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Grains Authority Administrator Jess Tanchanco and Secretary Jose A. Roño of the Department of Local Governments and Community Development. Some 400 delegates and observers representing the country’s farmers are slated to attend the FFAP’s 9th convention at the r Teachers’ Camp in Baguio. FFAP National Chairman Lucio A. Lim said that the convention theme is doubly significant in that the farmers are now free from the “bondage of the soil.” “They should be acquainted with the roles expected of them as a new breed of farmers under the New Society,” he added.