Breakfast for Mr. Kearns, President of the Export-Import Bank.
MIA [Manila International airport]
Copper-smelting
The Phil. Legion of Honor for Rear Admiral George Muse, CINCPAC [Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet] representative and Commander of the US Naval Forces in the Philippines.
Official Gazette for April 5, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS motored to the Philamlife building where he was guest of honor and speaker at the testimonial luncheon in honor of the women elected to public office in the 1971 elections.
In his speech the President called on the Filipino womanhood to share the burden of meeting the problems facing the country, such as those on peace and order, violence, graft, pornography, the rebellious young, and weakening of family ties.
“Collectively and individually, you should constitute the active social conscience of our government. There is every reason to expect that your participation will definitely raise the standards of our public service—by contributing your human touch to public affairs, by imbuing public service with a compassionate purpose.”
He mentioned the legendary Princess Urduja, who wielded unusual power in the country’s historic past as a reminder that “our Malay forbears proudly accepted leadership from women who distinguished themselves by their nobility and courage.”
Underscoring the role that women play in family life, the President said:
“Family life is principally due to the guidance of the women. If, therefore, there should be any degeneracy in our society today, perhaps this is due to many factors. And one of these factors is that women may not have consciously realized the present need for them to perform more than ever in our history their functions as the guiding hands of the family.”
Concluding his address, the President expressed the hope that under the leadership the League of Women Voters of the Philippines, Filipino womanhood may participate more actively in the fight against “drug addiction, against pornography, against cowardice in the face of the need for witnesses in the prosecution of crimes, and against everything that threatens to destroy the foundations of our society.”
The President was back in Malacañang in time to confer the Philippine Legion of Honor (degree of Commander) on Rear Admiral George R. Muse, commander of the U.S. Naval Forces in the Philippines, for “exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service to the Philippines.
Rear Admiral Muse paid tribute to the President for his contribution to the war effort in order to preserve freedom, saying:
“I certainly want at this time to acknowledge the great leadership you provided the country in the intervening years of your high position in the Republic, and I don’t believe there is anybody here now who had sacrificed more for this love of freedom and high ideals that the valor reflected by your own participation in the dark days before and following Bataan.”
Present at the award ceremony was the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda E. Marcos, and Philippine and U.S. officials headed by Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal and Ambassador and Mrs. Henry Byroade, and including Capt. and Mrs. Hal Stewart, Capt. and Mrs. Roberto Gideon, Capt. and Mrs. John Robertson, Cdr. and Mrs. William Evrard, Capt. and Mrs. Waldo Atkins, Col. and Mrs. Alfred Patterson, and Lt. Julian E. Baum, III, of the admiral’s staff;
Education Secretary Juan Manuel, Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr., General Romeo Espino, chief of staff, AFP; Brig. Gen. Jose Rancudo, Chief, PAF; Commodore Romulo M. Espaldon, deputy chief of staff; Commodore Hilario Ruiz, flag-officer-in-command, PN; and Commodore Ernesto Ogbinar, commander, naval operating forces and vice commander, PN.
League of Women Voters—Lunch.
Review of the oil leases bidding.
Development of the Free Trade Zone on a turn-key basis.