This has been a busy day. Imelda went to Carmona (by car because it was raining although she helicoptered back at noon) to receive the 500 houses donated by the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce.
Official Gazette for March 12, 1971: PRESIDENT MARCOS, in a speech at the opening ceremonies of the fourth meeting of the ASEAN foreign ministers, held at the Manila Hilton, called for new directions in regional economic cooperation, and for this purpose proposed the proclamation of an ASEAN Development Decade for the seventies.
In the pursuit of regional economic cooperation, the President said, “the time for action has come.”
The ASEAN must draw up a definite and specific program for economic cooperation, the President said, which should indicate both short-term and long-range goals.
The President specifically proposed:
1. An ASEAN common market, which would promote throughout the region harmonious economic development, continuous and balanced expansion, increased stability, rapid improvement of the standard of living, and closer relations between member countries.
2. Expansion of intra-regional trade, with a limited free trade area on a selective basis set up as a start.
3. The formation of an Asian Payments Union, to serve all of Asia, with limited payments union set up first in the ASEAN region, as a sort of pilot project”.
At the same time, the President cautioned against the danger of attempting too much too soon. He said that it is better “to make haste, slowly in order to prevent discouraging and costly setbacks.” (See pp. 2143-2148 for full text of the President’s speech.)
Before going to the conference, however, the President worked at his desk. He left Malacañang at mid-morning, arriving at the conference site about 10 AM, where he was met by the ministers in attendance, headed by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo, who leads the Philippine delegation at the meeting.
Returning to Malacañang at about 11:30 AM, the President received a delegation from the Bureau of Forestry, led by Director Jose Viado. The delegation was composed of regional directors and district foresters. The group paid its respects to the President.
After receiving the delegation, the President resumed his desk work, in the course of which he signed and submitted two nominations to the Commission on Appointments for confirmation, and appointed four persons to various posts in the government.
Nominated were Eric C. Nubla, as chairman of the Board of Examiners for Architects; and Renato D. Acain, as municipal judge of Salay, Misamis Oriental.
Appointed were Ignacia B. Olaso, as president of the Zamboanga State College; Eusebio Botengan, Jr., as acting member of the board of the Mountain Province Development Authority; Gregorio G. Tronco, as clerk of court in the Court of First Instance of Negros Occidental; and Felipe H. Romero, as acting city superintendent of schools of Tangub City.
Later at 5:30 PM, the President received the members of the Japanese industrial survey mission.
The group assured the President that Japan will extend all possible cooperation in the efforts of the country toward economic development. Masaharu Doi, mission chairman, said that in view of the very bright economic future of the Philippines, “there is much room for Japanese private firms to increase their investments where they are welcome.”
Others in the group were Teizo Horikoshi, vice chairman of the mission, Masakasu Echigo, Chobei Takeda, Mitsuo Aikyo, Yukio Shibayama, Junji Hiraga, Mamoru Okita, Atsihiko Yatabe;
Teruyoshi Tasaba, Sueo Koyama, Kasuo Yoshide, Morishisa Emori, Hisashi Murata, Taizo Nakamura, Minoru Horimotu, Mitsuya Okano, Masao Uchibayashi, Fusasabura Iwai, Katsuhiro Fujiwara, Masaki Orita, Shigeru Yagioka, and Yuko Kasahara.
At 8 PM, the President and the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, honored the ASEAN foreign ministers at dinner in Malacañang.
I keynoted the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Ministers Conference at 10:00 AM at the Hilton. I attach my speech.
Then met the District Foresters (66) and the Regional Directors of the Bureau of Forestry who are in Manila for their annual convention.
Directed [Potenciano] Nanoy Ilusorio to push through the extortion case against Dovie Boehms [Beams] who is still intimidating everyone by false publications, this time in the Detroit Free Press.
Then gave merienda to the Japanese Economic Survey Mission under Mr. [Masaharu] Doi, Chairman of the Sumitomo Chemical and a classmate of Ex-Prime Minister [Nobusuke] Kishi and the Deputy Leader [Teizo] Horikoshi, a classmate of Prime Minister Sato.
Then dinner for the Foreign Ministers of the members of Asean, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tun (Dr.) Ismail, Indonesian Foreign Minister Adam Malik, Singapore Foreign Minister [Sinnathamby] Rajaratnam, Thai foreign Minister Thanat Khoman and their ladies.
Tomorrow, we play golf at [Bahay] Pangarap at 7:00 AM (Malik, Khoman and Ismail).
If it does not continue raining. Strange weather for March. It has been raining since last night.