5:00 AM, July 16th
Official Gazette for July 15, 1973: DISPUTES among government offices arsing out of varying interpretations of laws and contracts will now be settled administratively to avoid lengthy and tedious court proceedings. This new ruling is contained in Presidential Decree No. 242, issued by the President, prescribing the procedures to be followed in the administrative settlement of the inter-governmental controversies. The decree provides that provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, all disputes, claims and controversies solely between or among the departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the National Government, including government-owned or controlled corporations but excluding constitutional offices or agencies, arising from the interpretation and application of statutes, contracts or agreement henceforth are to be administratively settled or adjudicated. Not affected by the decree are cases already pending in court.
GOVERNMENT Service Insurance System, through its Property Insurance Fund, may now engage in full-scale domestic and international reinsurance operations apart from its usual underwriting functions. This was made possible through the issuance by the President of Presidential Decree No. 245, amending Republic Act 656, which created the Property Insurance Fund of the GSIS. The decree names the Property Insurance Fund as the General Insurance Fund and empowers it to reinsure with, as well as to accept reinsurance from, insurance and reinsurance companies both in the Philippines and abroad.
THE COUNTRY’S, economy hit its biggest stride with the international reserves registering an unprecedented peak of $655 million and dollar deposits now aggregating $363 million. On the basis of these figures, Central Bank Governor Gregorio S. Licaros reported to the President that the country had accumulated total reserves of $1.019 billion which would be more than sufficient to meet its current requirements. The assessment of the economic and financial developments covered the first six months of 1973. It underlined the continued recovery of the country’s economy since October, 1972, soon after the declaration of Martial Law.
SECRETARY of Labor Bias Ople made the observation that a new middle class, equipped with basic skills in agriculture and industry, is gradually taking its proper place in the New Society. The secretary said the new class of men and women would assume positions in various sectors of the economy not on the strength of privilege but on the strength of their credentials of training, talent and creativity. According to the labor secretary, at the rate the government had been stepping up its manpower development programs and considering the redirection in the educational system, which put emphasis on manpower development, the nation would soon have a large pool of skilled labor that could be tapped for industrial development.
Official Gazette for July 16, 1973: THE PRESIDENT has ordered that upon the dissolution of the Philippine Postal Savings Bank within three years from January 29, 1973, a certain portion of its assets shall be turned over to the Bureau of Posts to be used for postal improvement. Among the assets which shall be transferred to the Bureau of Posts are the following: 1) The buildings, lands, furniture, supplies and equipment now accruing to the PPSB; 2) Fifty percent of the net accumulated surplus of the bank as may be determined at the time of dissolution; 3) Any unexpected amount covering the estimated prewar liabilities of the bank subject to the approval of the President. The assets and liabilities of the PPSB had been earmarked exclusively for “the Philippine National Bank or any other appropriate existing government bank” by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 121, dated January 29, 1973.
DEPARTMENT of trade lined up for prosecution several subdivision owners, developers and realty dealers for various irregularities perpetrated against house and lot buyers. Secretary of Trade Troadio T. Quiazon Jr., said corresponding actions are being readied against those who could not comply with their contractual obligations and those who would not settle their cases with the complainants. Irregularities unearthed during the initial three-week inquiries ranged from non-development of subdivisions, non-delivery of titles to the buyers after full payment and undue cancellation of contracts by subdividers for non-payment of installment resulting in the forfeiture of all installment payments.
BARANGAY voters were asked to purge their thoughts of the trivial happenings that have not been relevant to the welfare of the country when they vote in the July 27 national referendum. Chairman Leonardo B. Perez of the Commission on Elections instead asked the barangay members to focus their attention on basic matters that have influenced the nation since the declaration of Martial Law. The Comelec chairman said that the voters should weigh the situation dispassionately.
DEPARTMENT of Agrarian Reform advised, legitimate occupants of public lands in Manila and suburbs to transact
as I could not sleep Sunday and Monday
There is need to reorient the policies of the military as well as the civil government.
The Armed Forces has slipped back to its old policy of dividing its strike forces and being held to a stalemate by the rebels. This is true in the Lebak. Tran fighting in Cotabato, Basilan and Pata Island Sulu. As well as in Sorsogon.
We have not been able to liquidate the areas of resistance over a period of three months.
We must give this priority. The principle proper utilization of combat personnel and concentration of forces must be reinstated to its primary status.
And the bureaucracy in the civil government is shocking. I must cut down the red tape, the keeping of files and documentation of restive action. More use of the telephone and direct conversation will save time and resources.
The slow reaction on the rice crisis is an abject lesson.
And I must watch the land reform program as well as the three basic programs of infrastructure, agricultural and industrial development.
It is time I review the organization of the proliferating agencies.
The rice crisis has brought out what I was keeping quiet about—that we need a mandate from the Muslim regions to meet the possibility of the secessionist movement bringing the matter
business directly with the DAR to prevent unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation. DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella said the Government is expediting the issuance of orders of awards to legitimate occupants of the Tondo foreshore reclaimed areas and other public lands in the Manila area.
TOTAL of 61,515 community development projects worth over P40.5 million were completed by rural folks throughout the country since the proclamation of Martial Law. This was contained in a report submitted to the President by the Department of Local Government and Community Development. Of these, 1,398 were financed under the grants-in-aid program costing over P13.2 million. The rest were purely self-undertakings financed jointly by the barrio people and their municipal and provincial governments. The total number of purely self-help undertakings reached 60.117 worth over P27.2 million.
GOVERNMENT Service Insurance System has proposed more incentives for doctors and paramedic personnel who serve in the rural areas. GSIS Director Jose F. Caedo Jr. proposed the hiring of contractual doctors and training of paramedics or first aiders to work among the barrio folk The incentives include: 1) The building of more well-designed operative health centers to make these centers conducive to the practice of good medicine; 2) Provision of adequate transportation means for the use of health personnel and their patients; 3) Sponsorship of periodic seminars not only in cities but also in provincial towns for the professional advancement of doctors and other medical personnel; and 4) Provision of medical or scientific publications by the communities they work in for their professional growth and knowledge.
PHILIPPINE Tobacco Administration has revised the guidelines in the purchase of cigar-leaf tobacco. Under the new guidelines, cigar-leaf tobacco must be purchased directly from, growers and not from middlemen of licensed dealers. Each grower is required to keep, within the ceiling of 400, kilos except where he actually produced tobacco in his own farm. Growers are also required not to accept any consignment beyong PTA approved allocations. PTA Chairman and General Manager Demetrio Tabije has called on the agency’s field officers, tobacco warehousemen and farmers to follow the new guidelines strictly.
of a separatist government in Mindanao and Sulu to the United Nations General Assembly in September this year.
Met the officers of the cabinet and other agencies on the rice crisis. We will release all available resources of rice amounting to about 2.6 million cavans of rice.
We have to flood the country with rice during the period up to the referendum.
And we distribute nutribuns from imported wheat of about 10,000 tons July 24-27th.
As well as free seeds (vegetable—beans—nuts).
And procure the surplus harvest of corn for use in some areas of the Philippines.