Fiesta of Tacloban. Patron saint—Sto. Niño de Tacloban of many legends and stories including shipwreck and miraculous recovery.
Mass at 6:00 AM. Had to wake up at 5:00 AM after sleeping at 1:00 AM.
Pontifical mass at the Tacloban Plaza that lasted to close to 8:00 AM. Then breakfast at the Nipa House of Gov. [Benjamin] Romualdez—the only nipa house with air-conditioning and [Fernando] Amorsolo paintings.
Then back to Ulot and water skiing up to 10:00 AM from 9:00 AM. Then archery in trunks under the coconuts up to 11:30 AM. Tried out the new 32 pd. bow. A little stiff but accurate. Taught others including Chiki, John John, Hartzell and Danielli how to shoot with the 20 pd. bow and arrow.
Early lunch still in trunks, massage at 1:00 PM and reading and writing as well as a nap in the afternoon before the procession at 4:00 PM.
Dinner at the Nipa House during which I met the public officials including mayors asking for releases.
Interview by the Malacañang Press Club. We agreed to space the news:
Official Gazette for June 30, 1971: President Marcos and the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, led the faithful in celebration of the Tacloban City fiesta in honor of the Sto. Niño.
Early in the morning, the First Couple attended a Pontifical Mass officiated by Leyte Bishop Manuel Salvador, at the public plaza fronting the city cathedral. Later in the afternoon, the President and the First Lady, joined, the procession which started from the pier and wended through the city streets to the city cathedral.
The President and. the First Lady motored to Tacloban city early in the morning from Olot for the Mass.
After the Mass they proceeded to the Nipa Hut, Gov. Benjamin Romualdez’s official residence, for breakfast and a meeting with provincial and municipal officials. Then they again drove back to Olot, returning to the city early in the afternoon for the procession.
In the course of his work on urgent state matters at the resthouse, in Olot, the President took steps to avert possible disruption of essential government services due to the failure of Congress to enact the general appropriations act for the incoming fiscal year, starting July 1. In a directive to Commissioner Faustino Sy-Changco, the President said that “if at midnight (June 30), the end of the present fiscal year the appropriations act for the next fiscal year is not approved into law, you are directed to release such funds for the operation of the government as are within the limits of the present appropriations act.”
Among other actions, the President issued the following message on the death in space of three Russian Cosmonauts: The death of the Soviet cosmonauts is a great loss to all men and nations of the world. Their historic voyage had brought all of us closer to our highest dreams in space exploration, and we can only grieve this terrible tragedy at the moment of their greatest triumph. The Filipino nation joins all of mankind in expressing its highest admiration for their courage and example, and its deepest sympathies to the Russian people.
Price Control law extension
School teachers’ salary increases
The order to the military to go after the Christian armed elements also inasmuch as media reports indicate the targets of operations as the Muslims only.
The acceptance of the challenge of the Liberals to make the November 1971 elections as a referendum of the policies and implementation of the administration.
I intend to keep the matter of the filing of the libel case against Time Magazine for the Sunday papers.
So too with the Oil Commission.
Then a conference on forestry policies because of the complaint of Mayor Laura of Carigara against Leyte loggers.
At 8:30 PM we visited our house at Tacloban known as the White House. Then on the way back to Ulot we visited Bishop Salvador at Palo.
I have to sleep early as I open the PRO-AM golf tournament at Tacloban at 6:00 AM.