We have just arrived from the instant party of [Ramon] Monching and [Imelda] Meldy Cojuangco called at the request of Imelda to entertain the Millers, our guests at the palace, since our Manila Bay cruise was cancelled due to the typhoon off Polillio.
I no longer enjoy parties as my mind is on the reform program and on the international situation that seems to be fast changing.
Brought Paul Miller to 9 holes of golf at Manila Golf, then to the American Battle Monuments and lunch at the Nayon Pilipino, a tour of Rizal Park and Fort Santiago, a nap (he slept two hours) then I heard mass with the children at 8:00 PM and left for the Cojuangco’s at 8:30 PM.
I have started to teach Bongbong archery and he is taking very well to it using a 20 pd. bow. He was with Miguelito [Vazquez] this afternoon and has been spiritually recounting his rugby games.
Still no news about the sugar quota decision of the Finance Committee of the Senate that is acting on it. There is a telephone operators’ strike in America.
But I will have to Organize a sugar commission soon to prepare the way for the proper distribution of quotas and the systematic reassessment of the sugar policies specially diversification of markets like the world market which has half the price of the US market and almost like the domestic market. We should send Amb. [Ramon] Nolan to London on the world sugar conference to get a quota of 200,000 so as not to depress the domestic market.
Official Gazette for July 18, 1971: President Marcos, along with the First Lady, spent a couple of hours in the morning and afternoon with his three children while cruising along Manila Bay on board the presidential yacht Ang Pangulo.
The President went on a week-end cruise to be able to concentrate more fully on piles of urgent official papers and other important state business. In a statement to the press later in the day, the President emphasized that the Philippines is not laying any claim on any of the Spratley Island group. The President’s statement was in answer to queries arising from reports that the Philippine government has been misinterpreted abroad as laying a claim to the trust territories comprising the Spratley Island group.
The President said the Philippine position is that these islands are trust territories, and should not be occupied by any country, including the Philippines, except with the approval of the other allied powers.
The President pointed out that the islands on which Philippine troops are stationed, are not part of the Spratley Island group. The President reiterated that the Philippines has requested for the withdrawal of the Nationalist Chinese garrison on Itu Aba in the Spratley Island group because of its proximity to the Philippines, which considers the presence of foreign troops there as a threat to its security. On the other hand, the President believes that the withdrawal of Nationalist Chinese troops from the island would not affect the security of that friendly country.