7:00 PM As I wait
to go to the Cultural
Center for the recital of
Van Cliburn.
I have decided to demand that the United States help in the strengthening of our defenses on the basis of our five-year self-reliance program. This would be in lieu of the demands that the U.S. expects us to make on the bases, like Philippine administration, jurisdiction over military personnel etc. Such demands are of lesser consequence compared to the substantial requirement of security on the basis of our own capability.
We cannot depend on the United States to defend us if the Malaysians continue with their massive infiltration and they will—given their past performance, the belligerence of their leaders, the logic of events in Southeast Asia and the American government and people’s
Official Gazette for June 16, 1973: THE PRESIDENT, stressing the need for vigilance, urged new graduates of the Philippine Air Force to stand vigilant and ready to discharge their missions. “The new peace should not blind us, not even lull us to the clear danger that negligence and apathy could bring,” the Chief Executive said in a speech read for him by Gen. Romeo Espino, Armed Forces chief of staff, at the commencement exercises of the PAF Flying School Class ’73 in Fernando Air Base, Lipa City. He urged the hew graduates to be ready to discharge their responsibilities because “in the New Society all of us are committed to share part of the burden of nation-building and defense.” In the same vein, the President challenged the whole people to do heroic deeds—not in the making of war—but in more quiet and substantial ways to build a new life and a New Society.
PHILIPPINE National Bank has released rice production loans totalling P6,610,000 to 7,982 small farmers since the launching of Masagana 99 last month. The loan recipients were members of 1,488 seldas or farmer cooperatives from the six regions of the country. These regions are Northern, Central, and Southern Luzon, Eastern and Western Visayas, and Mindanao. Topping the list of borrowers were Southern Luzon fanners numbering 2,311, who received a total of P1,104,415. Second in the list were 2,132 farmers from Central Luzon who received P2,584,056. These loans are a part of the bank’s financing scheme to support the country’s intensified rice production drive.
THE PRESIDENT has set aside a $1-million allotment from the Reparations for the Bureau of Customs’ computer center. The reparations allotment will be used by the customs bureau for the purchase of its own electronic machines in line with the Government’s program to have a customs computer center. Customs Commissioner Rolando Geotina announced this when he addressed 30 graduates of the Bureau of Customs Systems Design and Analysis and Key Punching Operator courses at the customs training room.
BUREAU of Customs will implement soon a system of “instant payment” of claims due from drawbacks upon the filing of the claim with the proper office in the bureau. Customs Commissioner Rolando G Geotina who convened and presided over the meeting of the eight-man Special Committee on Drawbacks, said that all provisions of the new Tariff and Customs Code favorable to the claimant should be made retroactive and applicable to claims filed before the effectivity of the hew TCC. The committee will take sole responsibility in the processing of the claims until they are ready for payment.
DEPARTMENT of Trade laid the ground works for the formal investigation of various anomalies relating to the sale of real property. Following up the drive on all forms of business malpractices, including the deception and fraud employed in the sale of subdivision lots, Secretary of Trade Troadio T. Quiazon Jr. created a committee to hear complaints against erring persons, firms or entities. The committee, composed of representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Bureau of Commerce and the Fair Trade Board, was directed to start its inquiry immediately. The committee will receive and hear complaints regarding abuses, acts of misrepresentation, deceit, fraud and other unfair acts attributed to some real estate owners, brokers, salesmen, appraisers, subdivision and condominium owners, developers and managers.
aversion to committing their military to any kind of war in Asia.
So we must now seriously prepare to fight our own war if it should come.
But we must first meet this eventuality with diplomacy. This we are already doing.
I have also decided that the military must now openly participate in enforcing the rules on land reform, the agricultural program and Masagana 99.
I attach my notes.