Official Gazette for March 16, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS met with representatives of the Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan bloc in the morning during which he called for more efficiency among government engineers to give a strong thrust to the infrastructure development in the country.
The President issued the call as he deplored the “national phenomenon that many government engineers have become lazy, patronizing, and undependable,” which, he said is “reflected by the state of the roads all over the country.”
He also noted that regular highways allocations are not being used to maintain the roads, but go instead to the salaries of officers and employes.
The President also turned to the request of the representatives to suspend the transfer of government engineers in certain places, saying “we will have to seriously consider this proposal.”
He stressed however, that he will not hesitate to transfer government engineers to the areas should they be found to have committed any irregularities in the course of their discharge of their duties and responsibilities.
Those who attended the meeting were: Reps. Lorenzo Sarmiento of Davao del Norte Constantino Navarro of Surigao del Norte, James Chiongbian of South Cotabato, William Chiongbian of Misamis Occidental Cesar Fortich of Bukidnon, Jose Neri of Camiguin, Indanan Anni of Sulu, Pedro Roa of Misamis Oriental, Guillermo Sanchez of Agusan del Norte, Jose Puyat of Surigao del Sur, Constancio Maglana of Davao Oriental, Macacuna Dimaporo of Lanao del Sur, and Vicente Cerilles of Zamboanga del Sur.
In the afternoon, the President, while going over reports submitted to him by various departments and agencies of the government, directed the Philippine National Bank, the Development Hank of the Philippines and the Central Bank to speed up all agricultural production loans and to institute a feed-back system so that he could be constantly posted on the availment of such loans, particularly by small farmers.
The President issued the order upon reading the report of Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Arturo Tanco, Jr. on the movement of prices in foodmarket
In his report, Tanco noted that under-production of rice and corn and beef was beginning to have its initial effect on food prices.
The agriculture official said that with the extension of increased production loans to farmers, the national production of rice is expected to receive a great boost, with farmers being able to buy farm inputs such as seeds, farm implements, fertilizers, pesticides.
In issuing the order to the three financing agencies, the President pointed out the need for them to act in concert, in bringing about within the shortest possible time the important objective of increasing production in all agricultural areas.
Also during the day, the President assured Palawan officials that there is no malaria epidemic. He told them he had received assurances from the Japanese government that no malaria-carrying mosquitoes had been let loose in Palawan, but “we have to take all necessary steps to prevent any outbreak of the disease which may be caused by this mosquitoes.”
The President made the assurance during his meeting with Palawan delegation officials led by Gov. Salvador Socrates, who complained that “most officials coming to Palawan sometimes do not synchronize their efforts with municipal and provincial officials.”
The President stressed that this practice should be rectified immediately, and to this end issued directive urging “national officials going to municipalities and provinces to notify and synchronize with the local executives so that the efforts at national level may be augmented by the initiative and resources of the local governments.
During the meeting, the President also told Palawan officials who presented individual requests for appropriations that “we are not living priorities to municipal buildings, capitols, and non-productive investments.” He pointed out that the priorities are on irrigation, flood control, roads, bridges, and health facilities. However, he assured them that “we will try to help you as much as we can.”
Talked to Imelda at about 2:30 PM. She talked to Premier [Alexei] Kosygin yesterday for two hours and twenty minutes. He normally visits state heads for only fifteen minutes.
Kosygin found her charming, beautiful and talented as she talked to him about our problems. He commented that she was very much in love with her country as she had come all the way to a cold country (it was 10 below zero) to represent her country.
You are not only ambassador, First Lady and secretary, he commented, as she wrote down our needs.
She finds the bone-chilling cold most uncomfortable. And they find that the food is not appetizing except the caviar.
Tonight she will be given dinner by the Minister of Culture.
She goes to Leningrad later this week.
We are now busy keeping down prices. And I talked to the Public Service Commission to stop the Meralco [Manila Electric Company] increase in rates.
Juan Ona in an email message 21 April 2018 sent his recollections of this visit:
“The call of Mrs. Marcos on one of the Soviet ministers (I think it was the Minister of Science and Technology) was conducted in a very big room in the presence of about 40 people (mostly curious to see her). She indulged her fancy in her patented monologue, talking about everything. A short while after she touched on the American military bases in the Philippines, Ernie Pineda motioned to me and we left the room. We were at the back of the audience and she did not notice our departure. We should not have abandoned her.
“Having said this, I think Mrs. Marcos was the ablest operator of foreign policy in the Marcos administration. We may not like her methods or agree with her means, but in my opinion, these were very effective. In spite of her nonsensical rhetoric, she just charmed them all into granting her wishes. As an example, I remember that during that same visit [14-19 March 1972], her call on Soviet Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin was supposed to be for only 30 minutes. It started promptly at 4pm and ended at 6:20pm! Perhaps PM Kosygin could not take his eyes off Imelda at the height of her beauty and charm (43 years old at the time).
“Mrs. Imelda Marcos’ 12-19 March 1972 visit was the first official visit of a ranking PH government official to the USSR upon the invitation of the Supreme Soviet. It paved the way for President Ferdinand Marcos’ 30 May-06 June 1976 State Visit, which in turn culminated in the signing of the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, Without the knowledge of DFA, New York Consul General Ernesto Pineda and I (First Secretary in London) happened to be her foreign policy advisers during her visit.”