Ordered the confiscation of sugar in Luzon sugar mills and warehouses.
I attach copy of order.
Official Gazette for August 12, 1972: THE PRESIDENT declared a state of public calamity in nine Visayan and Mindanao provinces which had experienced long periods of severe droughts.
Covered by the proclamation (Proclamation No. 1060) were the provinces of Leyte, Bohol, Capiz, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Iloilo and Surigao del Norte.
The President also ordered the seizure and confiscation of all sugar stocks stored in warehouses, refineries, sugar mill premises and other establishments in the entire island of Luzon, including the Greater Manila area, and their distribution through legitimate outlets to the general public and industrial users at prices fixed by the Price Control Council.
The directive was issued to the Secretary of National Defense, the Secretary of Commerce and Industry, the chief of the Philippine Constabulary and the Sugar Quota Administrator.
The President issued the order after domestic sugar continued to be scarce in the market, amidst the raising clamor from the nation’s housewives for the commodity which is essential to the health of every man, woman and child.
In the course of the day, the President, together with the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, received;
(1) Officers of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce who presented a donation for the flood victims. With them in calling at Malacañang was Chinese Ambassador Liu Chien.
(2) Theodore H. Mecke, Jr., vice president for public affairs of Ford Motors Company, who likewise presented a check for $37,125 (₱250,000) from Ford Motors Company for the relief of the disaster victims. Antonio Floirendo, who was with Mecke, also presented a check for ₱35,000 from Ely Black of the Mindanao Fruit Corporation.
The President expressed thanks and appreciation to the donors. He requested Ambassador Chien to convey the gratitude of the Filipino people to the government and people of the Republic of China for their generous manifestation of friendship and sympathy for the victims of the recent floods and typhoons.
“On behalf of the people of the Philippines, our government, and my own, may I extend to you and through you to the government and people of China, our gratitude for this manifestation of friendship and sympathy,” the President said.
In the afternoon, the President met with representatives of the Fertilizer Institute to whom he appealed for a reduction of the price of fertilizers so that the farmers could increase production to minimize the adverse effects of the typhoons, floods and droughts on rice production.
The President warned that unless everybody cooperated and forgot about profits, the country would face a bad rice shortage. “We should not equate the profit motive with the welfare and interests of our people,” he added.
Those who conferred with the President were Messrs. Cayetano Pineda, Leonie Gonzalez, Manny Dizon, George Marcelo and Ady Sison.
Early in the evening, the President received the crewmen of three Chinese Air Force planes and helicopters who flew relief and rescue missions over Central Luzon. The Chinese pilot called at Malacañang before leaving for Taipei.
In bidding goodbye to the CAF officers, the President requested them to convey personally to President Chiang Kai-Shek and Premier Chang Ching Kuo the gratitude and appreciation of the Filipino people for their manifestation of sympathy and friendship.
Led by Col. Wong Teh-fu and Lt. Cols. Ho Kai-wan and Chou Chi Whao, the group included Majors Yay “ian Lean, Chang Sheng Chuan, Lieu Sayh Jung, Chang Lin Sheng, Chao Asui Feng and Kuo Seng Tin.
They were accompanied to the President by Brig. Gen. Jose Rancudo, PAF chief; Lt. Col. David David, and Col. Chang Wei Lieh, air attache at the local Chinese embassy.
Following the call of the Chinese pilots, the President swore in Col. Pedro Mendoza as acting deputy commissioner of customs, vice Pedro Pacis who had retired.
Bongbong today started weight-lifting under the tutorship of Mr. Elpidio Doroteo, head of the Phil. Weightlifting Asso. He started out with 5 pds but the bar alone is 20 pds.
The CC [Constitutional Convention] delegates pledge they will finish the constitution by December. I attach their proposed plan.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford contributed $37,000 to the Calamity Fund. Tony Florendo of the [TADECO] contributed P30,000.
Order reforms in the BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue] and Com. of Customs as well as the PNB [Philippine National Bank].
China has given more than P7 million of aid.
The Fertilizer Institute offered to reduce their prices by one peso per bag. And offered to participate in the grant of available government credit under the Agricultural Loan Fund through some commercial banks and the Institute’s 200 outlets.