Official Gazette for May 23, 1973: THE PRESIDENT ordered an immediate inquiry on a metropolitan Manila-wide traffic experiment which has been the subject of complaints from pedestrians and commuter, particularly the jeepney-riding public, for the last few days. The Chief Executive directed Secretary David M. Consunji of the Department of Public Works, Transportation and Communications to conduct an immediate public hearing to get the views of the riding public.
THE FIRST LADY paid special tribute to the winners in the recently conducted 1973 Tour of Luzon for their skill and endurance. The First Lady’s commendation was made in her brief remarks during the presentation of a trophy donated by the President to Jesus Garcia Jr., overall champion of the bicycle classic. The First Lady hailed the tour as an important factor in the unification of the country, similar to the example of the Greeks who were unified by their skills in athletics in spite of the failure of religion to unify them.
REGISTRATION of reservist has been extended to June 30, 1973, the Armed Forces announced. Gen. Romeo Espino, AFP chief of staff, said the President has approved the extension of the registration—which was prescribed by Presidential Decree No. 183—upon representation by the Office for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. OMRA Chief Col. Ishmael Albano explained that the Government has not completed the printing and distribution of registration forms to all municipalities and cities throughout the country. The colonel said the extension of the deadline—which was originally set on May 31, 1973—will give the registering officials more time to study the form and the procedure in the registration since it will be different from the registration of 20-year-olds.
PHILIPPINE Tourism Authority will be created to function as the implementing agency for policies and programs of the newly created Department of Tourism. As main arm of the tourism department, the PTA will exercise corporate powers and may contract loans, credits and other indebtedness and issue bonds, notes, securities and other instruments of indebtedness for the development of the tourism industry. The authority will be administered by a general manager who will be appointed by the President.
THE GOVERNMENT’S cooperative development program was formally launched recently in South Cotabato as part of the nationwide rural improvement scheme. A seminar-workshop attended by 48 provincial officials and civic and religious leaders ushered in Phase I of the Cooperative Development Program (CDP) sponsored by the Department of Local Governments and Community Development. Phase I involves the organization of barrio associations (Samahang Nayon) as the initial stage in the promotion and development of farmers’ cooperatives. The CDP has been launched in the context of rural development in general and in conjunction with the Agrarian Reform Program in particular.
NERVE CENTERS of the Masagana 99 rice production program—the provincial action committees (PACs)—have been organized to assist farmers’ cooperatives on financial and technical problems. The President has been assured of this by a delegation of provincial governors and Secretary Arturo Tanco Jr. of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. PCAs will serve as the organizational machinery in all 43 provinces covered by the crash rice production program. They are designed to implement with dispatch the much-needed technical and financial support to farmer-cooperators involved in the program.
JUSTICE SECRETARY Vicente Abad Santos urged scholars to share with and commit their knowledge to the community’s welfare in the building of a New Society. The scholar’s knowledge is a “a beacon that must be offered for the common welfare, to the lowliest and the most humble.” Mr. Abad Santos made this appeal during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Phi Kappa Phi (Philippine Chapter) international Honor Society held at the Abelardo Hall of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. He said the New Society has worked towards greater efficiency in the school building program, private education development projects, textbooks production, science education, and educational reform.
TEACHERS and parents in the New Society must transform every school-house and home into a place for the development of a new breed of Filipinos. This will be one of the important contributions of both teachers and parents in the national effort to build a New Society. The challenge was hurled by Brig. Gen. Guillermo Pecache, Armed Forces deputy chief of staff for home defense, in a speech before the graduating students of the National Teachers College. He said that the role of the teachers in nation-building is specially crucial at this time when the country has reached the crossroads where Filipinos have to decide for themselves whether ”to take the road back to national chaos or forge ahead toward national greatness.”
“The sun has risen. I may go before it reaches its zenith. But even if I do I know it will get there.” So did I quote my mythical Asian hero on the award of the Philippine Legion of Honor, Degree of Commander at 10:30 PM to Amb. Henry Byroade.
And after the luncheon and the award of the Sikatuna, Rank of Datu, to him I said then that we are warriors traveling fast to our respective destinies and the Ilocanos have a saying.
“When a warrior travels fast he leaves his baggage behind. And the heaviest baggage one has is the burden of emotion—the feelings of the heart.”
“When you run up the narrow trail of the cliff one must not look back lest one falls.”
So we go on our respective trials but I cannot leave my sentiments for mine is a Filipino heart and mind.
Raul Manglapus, Salvador Araneta, now [Balliao?] and others have kept on criticizing me and the administration from the United States.
They must be pitied and ignored. They are the old society clinging to its life—gasping out its last dying breath.
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