Am alone in the Palace as Imelda has gone to the tea or merienda given by the Congressional Ladies at the Hyatt Regency.
After golf at 10:00 AM, Imelda brought us to the “Old Antique” which is under construction. It is the site of the first Phil. Senate, formerly belonged to Admiral [Patricio] Montojo, Commander or Flag Officer in Command of the Spanish Navy up to 1898 and is the most handsome old house I have seen (after the reconstruction that has been going on for 3 years). Antillan in architecture it has French and Moorish details. High ceilings, wide hardwood stairs (Ipil) narra paneling, filigree work even on the walls. Elegant and more luxurious than Malacañan Palace.
Directed Mayor Ireneo Rubio to look for a place for a memorial for father on a hill either to the north or south of Batac, a bigger lot in Currimao and an old house in Laoag for a town house in that capital city.
Worked on sugar prices and air freight. Met Nick and Ramon Jimenez on the message sent by Delegate [Eduardo] Quintero.
Prepared for the negotiation for the educational loan fund from the IBRD [International Bank for Reconstruction and Development]. I attach papers on it.
Official Gazette for July 4, 1972: THE PRESIDENT continued focusing on state papers.
Except for a few officials of the executive departments, he did not receive any other callers.
In a message issued earlier on the observance of Filipino-American Friendship Day, the President said:
We observe Filipino-American Friendship Day today at a time when our two nations are in the midst of a re-examination of certain vital aspects of our historic ties.
Between Filipinos and Americans, there has existed for many decades now, the deepest of bonds that can possibly exist between two peoples. This has been made all the more meaningful by numerous bilateral agreements that have sought to put in a unified context the aspirations and individual efforts of our two nations.
Now, in this new and difficult time, there is need to put this historic friendship into a new context that takes into consideration our nation’s steady march towards complete political and economic self-reliance. There is need to inject into it a new substance that cures it of all infirmities that may have been the cause of any perceived imbalance in our relationship.
This is not to say that Filipino-American friendship has won: by the years, or that it has been weakened by the complexities of modern relationship between evolving states. This is merely to say that after long years of working together in peace, Filipino-American friendship has acquired the sobriety, maturity and stability to allow us, Filipinos and Americans, to examine it in the cold light of our respective national interests and thereby find out how we make it respond more energetically to such interests with complete mutuality in every field.
Marcos is referring to the Goldenberg Mansion on Laurel street that was not being “constructed” but “restored” under the direction of Leandro V. Locsin. Though owned by the Marcos Foundation it was used as a State Guest House. It ince contained, among other artistic and cultural treasures, the Imelda Marcos collection of Oriental Ceramics, and rare Filipiniana ex-Alfonso T. Ongpin collection.
The trade with China. I attach report of Gen. Man. Jovito A. Rivera of Netracor [National Export Trading Corporation].
And the stalemate in the budget in the conference committee. Sen. [Arturo] Tolentino has suggested that the old budget be reenacted. This would mean the increases in salaries, AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] budget, cooperatives are out. But the power of transfer and use of savings are retained. If an unprogrammed or B budget is approved with all the increases included and the power to use savings and excess income and borrowings, then we could agree.
Tomorrow I will have to issue an order to use the old budget but to limit releases to the 25% allocated for the 1st quarter.
The parliamentarists and anti-ban Marcos delegates seem to have upper hand in the Concon [Constitutional Convention].