The [Richard] Nixon Devaluation announcement has increased prices of shares of stock specially of those listed in the American stock exchange.
And there is some confusion in the export area.
We are watching developments.
Speaker and Mrs. Carl Albert are our guests at the palace. They arrived at 4:00 at the MIA [Manila International Airport]. Had dinner with them at 8:00 PM.
Had to excuse myself to talk by SSB [single-sideband] to Mayor Bangon Aratuc of Buldon through the radio unit I sent with a communications team of 3.
He asked me to send back Sens. [Mamintal] Tamano, [Leonardo] Perez, Cong. [Constantino] Navarro and [Mohammad] Ali Dimaporo, who with my emissaries, Mayor [Sansalona] Biruar of Parang, Bungusa, Tumawis, and Mayor [Michael] Sinsuat would bring him to Manila.
Official Gazette for August 17, 1971: President Marcos was back to his regular schedule after his trip to the provinces, and as usual he received visitors in between stints at his desk.
Among those who called in the morning were Minister William Thorpe of New Zealand, who completed a 3-year tour of duty in this country. He called to say goodbye, prior to returning home for reassignment as high commissioner of Samoa.
Later in the morning, the President was regaled by the call of young singing ambassadors from Japan, Taipei and South Korea, composed of children’s choirs. The First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, joined the President to listen to the youngsters sing a few songs. Accompanying the children was Rev. Walter C Libre, who presented the three groups to the President on behalf of Mayor Antonio J. Villegas of Manila. A particular hit was the rendition by the Taipei choir of “Dahil Sa Iyo.”
A large delegation from Mindanao was received by the President soon after. The Muslim group sought assurance that marriage rituals of non-Christians would continue to be in force despite the expiration of the law which authorized these rites. The President, to reassure them, re-enacted the signing of R.A. 6268, which restored the exemption retroactively to June 19, 1969, when the original law expired.
In the afternoon the President devoted most of his time to his desk work and other state matters.
Early in the evening, the President and the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, received Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and Mrs. Carl Albert. Speaker Albert arrived in Manila in the afternoon at the head of a 23-man congressional delegation conducting an Asian tour. The Alberts were accompanied to Malacañang by Speaker and Mrs. Cornelio T. Villareal, Rep. Jose D. Aspiras of La Union, and Ambassador and Mrs. Henry Byroade. The U. S. congressional delegation arrived from Taipei via Hongkong at 4:40 p.m. and were met at the Manila International Airport by members of Congress led by Speaker Villareal, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo, Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr. and Ambassador Henry Byroade.
Among the papers signed by the President in the course of the day was a proclamation declaring August 19, a special public holiday in Quezon province, Lucena City and Quezon City. The day marks the birth anniversary of the late President Manuel L. Quezon.
Tomorrow our helicopters bring medicine and food to Buldon, landing in front of the municipal building where the flag flies.