Imelda’s birthday. Wrote the Sonnet to Imelda and the song “Every Moment and Today” to which Mike Velarde composed music. Gave her these with a diamond rosary last night at 12:00 midnight when she came into our bedroom with our children who gave her an antique Virgin Mary seated carrying the child Jesus. Ric[ardo] Manrique [Jr.] as usual sang the song tonight in the program after the dinner at the Heroes’ Hall that followed the mass said by the Papal Nuncio at 5:30.
For the first time she celebrated her birthday at Malacañang instead of Olot where the beach house must be lonely. I had to stay as Prime Minister [Keith] and Mrs. [Norma] Holyoake are our house guests and the Seato [Southeast Asia Treaty Organization] Ministers’ Conference has just been convened. I opened it with a speech on the Asian Forum led off by the Djakarta conference; more socio-economic development under Seato and a new role of Seato that recognizes the new spirit of nationalism and
Official Gazette for July 2, 1970: President Marcos called for a transformation of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization from “a council of war for defense to a council of peace for progress.”
Asserting that there is a new strength in the Southeast Asian region, emanating from the people themselves, and a consensus of a growing-community interest, the President stressed that SEATO must now play a new role “in the light of the new forces at work in this region.”
In the keynote speech at the opening in the morning of the 15th Council of Ministers meeting of SEATO, held at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Makati, Rizal, the President said that the organization must “recognize the growing spirit of nationalism and independence in the region, and make certain adjustments in its mission in order to take changed circumstances into account.” SEATO must move in the direction “of making itself relevant to the rising needs of Southeast Asia,” the President stated, “otherwise it loses its reason for being.” He pointed out that the ultimate purpose of SEATO is “not war but peace, not strife but brotherhood.” (Full text of the President’s speech in OG.)
At breakfast, the President played host to Sir Keith J. Holyoake and Lady Holyoake, along with the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos. Sir Keith is Prime Minister of New Zealand.
At midmorning, the President motored to Inter-Continental Hotel, along with the First Lady, to address the opening session of the SEATO ministerial conference.
Returning to Malacañang, the President worked as usual on state papers. In the afternoon, he resumed his paper work, then broke off to sit down with Spencer Davies, AP correspondent in Washington, D.C., for an interview. Davies planed in for the SEATO meeting. Later in the afternoon, the President conferred briefly with Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata and CB Gov. Gregorio Licaros.
At about 5 p.m., the President left his desk to attend a Mass with the First Lady and their children, which was offered in connection with Mrs. Marcos’ birthday. The Mass was held at the ceremonial hall before an improvised altar. Msgr. Carmine Rocco, papal nuncio, officiated. A rare feature at the Mass was the singing of the famed Vienna Boys Choir, who happened to be here enroute to Osaka’s Expo ’70. Also at the Mass was the President’s mother, Mrs. Josefa Edralin Marcos, and top officials of the government,
While at work on official papers, the President approved a proposal to create an inter-departmental task force for petroleum exploration, and to survey other minerals and geothermal resources. Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr. recommended the creation of a task force which would pool available government and private resources for petroleum and minerals exploration.
Through this joint force, Melchor explained, the cost of exploration and prospecting will be reduced, notably risk capital for actual drilling and exploitation.
independence of the Asian nations who have not waited for Seato to defend them but have defended themselves instead from any danger.
Conference on the monetary measures to be embodied in the new letter of intent to the IMF [International Monetary Fund]. Interview by John Nance and [Spencer Davies] of AP [Associated Press]. Then Sec. Cesar Virata and Gov. [Gregorio] Licaros in preparation for the meeting-luncheon with Dr. Zahvkar tomorrow