Official Gazette for June 1, 1973: THE PRESIDENT announced that all foreign firms setting up manufacturing plants in the Philippines have applied for space in the Export Processing Zone in Mariveles, Bataan. He made the announcement as he reiterated his advice before a group of businessmen and industrialists to set up factories in the sprawling Export Processing Zone. The group included officials of the Mariwasa and Honda Motors Corporation who paid their respects to the Chief Executive at Malacañang to inform him of the formation of a joint venture for the manufacture of motorcycles and parts in the Philippines.
THE PRESIDENT created a three-man Professional Regulation Commission to oversee the various boards of examiners in an effort to upgrade the standards of professionalism. The President explained he was prompted to organize the commission because the boards of examiners have acted only as examining units; though they are supposed to supervise and regulate professional practices. The PRC will be composed of full-time commissioner, who will act as chairman to serve for nine years without reappointment, and two full-time associate commissioners, one appointed for six years and the other for three years.
ALL GOVERNMENT offices are required to codify all laws and regulations governing or relating to their operations. Memorandum Circular No. 636, issued by the President, requires all heads of departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and other instrumentalities of the Government to submit to his office within 30 days from May 28 the codified laws and regulations. In issuing the memorandum, the President said people find it difficult to understand simple government operations because relevant laws, rules and regulations, circulars, orders and other similar matters are not collated.
THE PHILIPPINE Government has signed an agreement for a $1.8 million assistance from the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) for the country’s population education project. The Project will involve the integration of population education into the curricula of the elementary, secondary and teacher-training levels of the school system. It aims to reduce the size of the Filipino family, thus ensuring a more informed and responsible: attitude on population matters. Di rector General Gerardo P. Sicat of the National Economic and Development Authority signed for the Philippines while Mr. William H. Harding signed for UNFPA.
SECRETARY of Information Francisco S. Tatad has launched the 1973 fund campaign of the Philippine Mental Health Association (Cebu Chapter) to underline the need for a nationwide awareness on the significance of mental health in nation-building. The secretary stressed that the campaign’s eventual success to create public awareness on mental health— to the extent that each man, woman and child will care to know how he or she can help safeguard this great wealth of the nation—will ensure the country’s progress.
DEPARTMENT of Local Governments and Community Development has clarified that farmers who had a standing credit obligation with the defunct ACCFA (now Agricultural Credit Administration) are not covered by the condonation proviso in Presidential Decree No. 175. Under this decree, the DLGCD is empowered to condone the principal and/or accumulated interest on past due on production and/or farm improvement loans extended by the ACCFA and the ACA to farmer members of agricultural cooperatives. DLGCD Secretary Jose Roño made this clarification following a report from the ACA that farmers have altogether stopped praying for the loans they have obtained from the Government financing arm.
BUREAU of Internal Revenue issued the following deadlines for tax payments for June: 1) June 11—for employers who withheld taxes of P200 or more from wages during the month of May, 1973, to deposit their collections with the BIR: for government offices to submit BIR form 7 50 to remit internal revenue taxes withheld in May. 2) June 15—for filing of the final return by corporations whose taxable year ended on February 28, and for payment of the corresponding tax; and for payment of the second installment of income tax by corporations whose preceding taxable year ended on November 30, 1972. 3) June 29—for filing and payment of the quarterly corporate income tax return for the third quarter by corporations whose taxable year ends on July 31; for filing and payment of the quarterly corporate income tax return for the second quarter by corporations whose taxable year ends on October 31, 1973; and for filing and payment of the: quarterly corporate income tax return for the third quarter by corporations whose taxable year ended on May 31, 1973.
The worldwide shortage in agricultural products including abaca, vegetable oils, meat, sugar, cereals, animal feed and fruits which will keep the prices up for the next several years. Sugar alone presents a good picture. The world production is 74 million tons but the requirement in 1980 will be 94 million tons and there are no possible sources of increase.
So I have decided to invest government funds and borrow agricultural products and food. We should order at least five more sugar mills but with the agreement that the supplier of the machinery will buy all production which they will only be too glad to so there is and there will be a world shortage.
We will adopt the same concept in all other agricultural products.