Took over operational control of the Dept. of Public Works as well as Agriculture. This is necessary to expedite the reconstruction and rehabilitation work.
Met both departments with their personnel at 5:00-7:00 PM.
Worked out the priorities of work and expenditures.
In flood control: In Manila the esteros which service 80% of the need is still first priority. In Central Luzon it is the Apalit part of the dike on t11e Bulacan River.
Official Gazette for July 28, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS took over the operational control of the Department of Public Works and Communications and the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources in view of the importance of the two departments in the rehabilitation efforts of the government.
The President directed the Department of Public Works and Communications to conduct a survey of the damages caused by the series of typhoons and floods, and the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources to procure at least 100,000 cavans of rice seeds from the south for distribution to the flood victims.
The President also pressed for the immediate start of work on the Labangan Channel to provide an outlet for the floodwaters from Pampanga and Bulacan.
Earlier in the day, the President conducted an ocular survey of the flood areas of Bulacan and, conferred with provincial and municipal officials at the provincial capitol.
The President left Malacañang at 9 o’clock by jeep, taking Aurora Boulevard, then Highway 54, through the North Diversion, to Malolos, where he turned over truckloads of relief goods to Mrs. Purificacion Reyes, mayor of Malolos for distribution at the town plaza.
From there, the President and his party, which included Rep. Teodulo Natividad and Gov. Ignacio Santiago, motored towards Hagonoy, passing by Paombong which was still in several feet of water. Also with the President were Highways District Engineer Felicisimo Ver and Public Works Engineer Jose Regalado.
Upon reaching the Paombong municipal building, the Chief Executive again turned over to Mayor Jose de la Cruz and the barrio captains truckloads of relief goods intended for the town’s flood victims, and then motored to Hagonoy.
After distributing some relief goods in Hagonoy, the President turned over the relief goods to Mayor Ermin Perez and then motored back to Malolos, proceeding directly to the provincial capitol for the conference.
Following the conference, the President, who conducted the survey in a driving rain, took a helicopter back to Manila to be in time for his meeting with public works and agriculture officials in Malacañang.
During the conference, the President said that there was need to cut bureaucratic red tape. He was informed that the total expenditures for the rehabilitation, reclamation and reconstruction of infrastructures as proposed by the conference committee of the National Disaster Control Council would be ₱420.4 million.
To this end, he discussed with the departments concerned the projects to be given top priority in accordance with available funds.
Among those present at the meeting were Secretaries Alejandro Melchor, Jr., Arturo R. Tanco, Jr. of agriculture and natural resources, David M. Consunji of public works and communications, Juan Ponce Enrile of national defense, Rosendo Marquez of the presidential arm on community development;
Commissioners Faustino Sy-Changco of the budget, Francisco Saguiguit of the Agricultural Productivity Commission, Andres Mane of the Philippine Fisheries Commission, Baltazar Aquino of the Bureau of Public Highways; Directors Carlos Leaño of the Infrastructure Operations Center, Eliseo Carandang of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Alejandro Deleña of the Bureau of Public Works; and Administrator Alfredo Juinio of the National Irrigation Administration.
Then the Rio Chico dikes and continuation of the dikes of the Agno, Tarlac River and the Bulacan River—as well as the Labangan Channel.
Tomorrow at 4:00 AM, the Com. on Highways will start working on a massive scale on the Manila streets starting with P. Burgos. We are going to employ many units of heavy equipment.
Went to Bulacan by jeep—Malolos, Paombong, Hagonoy then to the Prov. Capital.