1:00 AM Oct. 25th
Official Gazette for October 21, 1973: THE PRESIDENT has appointed three new associate justices to the Supreme Court, including the first woman member of the highest tribunal. Named to the high court are: 1) former Senator Estanislao Fernandez; 2) Associate Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma of the Court of Appeals; and 3) Ramon Aquino, a well-known law practitioner and author of law books.
SECRETARY of Information Francisco S. Tatad told a peace andprosperity rally in Marawi City that nothing stand in the way of the full development of Mindanao and that the government is committed in seeing to it that there is an equal sharing of progress in the country. The peace, order and prosperity rally was organized by citizens of Marawi one year after the short-lived October 21 Marawi uprising. The secretary appealed for brotherhood among Christians and Muslims, saying that all of them have invested life and honor in the building of one Filipino nation.
BUREAU of Public Works has reported to the President that damages to infrastructure facilities throughout the country wrought by typhoons Luming and “Narsing” amounted to at least P16.7 million. Of this amount P5.8 million represent damaged flood control and drainage facilities while P5.2 million represent destroyed schoolbuildings. The rest are for damages to government buildings, hospitals and sanitaria, waterworks, wells, springs, portworks, shore protection works and others. Of the P16.7 million total damage inflicted by the two typhoons, P14.59 million was caused by typhoon “Luming” while only P2.11 million was caused by typhoon “Narsing.”
JULIO CARDINAL Rosales “enthusiastically endorsed” the idea of President Marcos to “return Christ to Christmas” with the revival of the traditional Church liturgy and rituals, as well as native customs which once made the Philippine Christmas celebrations unique, solemn and colorful. In a conference with Secretary of Tourism Jose D. Aspiras, the Cardinal and Mons. Mariano Gaviola, who was also present, pledged to endorse the project to the other members of the Church hierarchy. Describing the President’s proposal as “wonderful,” the Cardinal and Bishop Gaviola expressed confidence that the Church leaders will approve it “with enthusiasm.”Official Gazette for October 22, 1973: THE PRESIDENT renewed his appeal to the entire people to support the land reform which is basic to the government’s development program. The President sounded the appeal before thousand of emancipated farmers who had come from as far north as Ilocos and Isabela to as far south as Sulu, Cotabato and Bukidnon, to join the celebration of the first anniversary of the proclamation of land reform at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. In addressing the huge assemblage, following a thanksgiving parade during which the farmers marched before the. grandstand, bearing placards and streamers, and waving their hats, the President pledged that “there is no turning back, no withdrawing from the land reform program, and that the government will never hesitate in the implementation of the program.”
SECRETARY of Information Francisco S. Tatad said the Muslim communities of the Philippines can look forward to a long period of sustained development and growth until the real conditions of these areas are transformed. The secretary made these remarks in colorful ceremonies at the Mindanao State University, where the youngest member of the President’s Cabinet was installed Sultan A-Makalangkap (bearer of truth)’by the prestigious 32-member sultanate league of Marawi City. The first member of the President’s Cabinet to be given the honorary title, Secretary Tatad expressed the determination of the President to bring the level of development in the Muslim areas. He further stated that it is for this minority that the New Society was launched, and it is for this minority that the New Society will be created.
NATIONAL Prime Commodities Council appealed to gasoline dealers to police themselves and to work out a system of allocation of fuel to their consumers. The council also appealed to the consumers to help conserve not only gasoline but also other petroleum products. The council issued the twin appeals in a meeting with gasoline dealers and representatives of the public transportation sector at the National Prime Commodities Operations Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.Official Gazette for October 23, 1973: THE PRESIDENT expressed concern over the fate of the Mangyans of Mindoro and reiterated the government policy of either absorbing the cultural minorities into the mainstream of national life or preserving their tribal cultures. The President expressed his concern for the Mangyans during his meeting with the survey mission of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development which submitted a report on the integrated development program for the two Mindoro provinces. Headed by Roy Hewson, the FAO-IBRD mission includes Roy Spinks, economist; John Clifford, engineer; Gerald Clarke, agronomist; Raymond Igo, irrigation engineer; and John Cole, economist.
THE PRESIDENT received the officials of B. F. Goodrich, who came to thank him for the restoration of peace and order in Basilan which enabled their plant there to operate. The President, in turn, requested the Goodrich officials to help the government in extirpating the root causes of grievances. The Goodrich officials who called on the President were O. Pendleton Thomas and Gerald Alexander, chairman and executive vice president, respectively, and Donald Ress and William Mitchell of Goodrich Philippines. The Goodrich officials pledged to cooperate and support the government programs to promote the New Society.
THE PRESIDENT told surrendered leaders of Yakans of Basilan who had fled to the hills that the time has come for all Filipinos, Muslims as well as Christians, to unite and work together for the improvement-of the living conditions of everyone under the New Society. In his meeting with the Yakans, who were brought to Malacañang following their recent surrender, in connection with the government’s policy of attraction, the President assured them that they would be extended all possible assistance to lead normal lives. Hadji Salajin Mutamad, Yakan tribal leader in Basilan promised to return to Basilan and convince his followers numbering about 100 armed men, as well as those of allied groups, to come out of hiding and take advantage of the opportunity granted them by the President to lead more productive lives.
SECRETARY of Information Francisco S. Tatad called for an overhauling of the concept of liberal education to make it an effective partner in the country’s development. Speaking before faculty members of the University of the East on the occasion of the Silver anniversary of UE’s School of Arts and Sciences, the Secretary pointed out that the “movement towards development” launched under the New Society needs the support not only of those educated in the humanities. The new concept of liberal education, he said, trains man so that he may fully understand his human condition, his environment and his culture for the purpose of enlightenment and coping with life. The secretary stressed that this education in liberation will go a long way toward attaining the New Society’s goals of “transforming the national consciousness, of effecting the cultural revolution that we have spoken of.”
THE PRESIDENT directed the budget commissioner to release P2 million from the Calamity Fund to the Bureau of Plant Industry for use in the immediate purchase and distribution of good palay seeds for lending to farmers in Cotabato, Central Luzon, Laguna and the Bicol area who lost their rice crop due to floods, plant diseases and typhoons “Luming” and Narsing and who, by virtue of their location, are capable of replanting their farms. The director of the Bureau of Plant Industry was instructed to administer the seed purchase and distribution.
BUREAU of Internal Revenue has realized P65.6 million back accounts in the form of uncollected withholding taxes. The amount was due from interest payments remitted by local banks to foreign creditors in the names of local firm-debtors. The P65.6 million collection was the result of a directive from Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata tor the BIR to exert effort in the collection of taxes due on interest payments made to foreign creditors.
NATIONAL Labor Relations Commission capped its first year of operations with the payment of P68.7 million in restitutions to 12,240 workers. This was the highlight of a report submitted to the President by Labor Secretary Blas F. Ople on the first anniversary of the founding of the NLRC under Presidential Decree No. 21. The report said that for the period, the NLRC, headed by Undersecretary of Labor Amado G. Inciong, received a total of 6,275 complaints of which 5,145 were settled. The payments to workers were in form of back wages and other benefits, such as separation pay and increase in wages received by the workers.Official Gazette for October 24, 1973: THE PRESIDENT has issued Presidential Decree No. 318 limiting the power of chartered cities to increase taxes on petroleum products. The decree provides that notwithstanding the provisions of Section 24 of Article 3, Chapter II of the Local Tax Code, “the cities shall not increase the rate of taxes imposed by them on petroleum products and prevailing at the time of promulgation of the order of the Oil Industry Commission dated October 20, 1973, increasing the price of petroleum products which is likewise the date of effectivity of PD No. 314, increasing the specific tax on petroleum products.”
THE PRESIDENT received the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in the course of the latter’s stopover in Manila on his way home from Tokyo, Japan. The President, with some members of the Cabinet, had a cordial talk with the Prime Minister on matters of mutual interest. The President and the Prime Minister expressed mutual satisfaction on the quality of bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Bangladesh, and jointly voiced the hope that there would continue to be a strengthening of relations.
DEPARTMENT of Justice has ruled that domestic private companies with at least 60 per cent Filipino capital may acquire private lands in the Philippines under the new Constitution, Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos issued the opinion in reply to a request from the Commissioner of Land Registration. The justice secretary said that
Sunday I spent mostly working out the details of implementation of the increase of the price of oil products.
The problem of shortage of gas and other fuel has been met. Heavy, light and jeeps get 15 liters per visit to a station and bantams get 10 liters.
But we are trying to get a clearer picture of the crude oil supply as the Saudi Arabians and Kuwaits are cutting down on their production.
Today the 21st is Tenant Emancipation Day.
Monday was the celebration of Tenant Emancipation Day at Camp Aguinaldo where 50,000 tenants gathered to extend their pledges of support.
Luis Taruc, the erstwhile Huk Supremo, pledged his life and blood in support of my policy of reform.
So did the other spokesmen.
I, in turn, speaking mostly in Filipino, told them that it should be the other way alone [sic]. As I was their soldier, so I pledge my life and honor once again for their liberation and that of our country from its heritage of degradation and inequity—an unjust economic and social system.
Could not rest in the afternoon. Imelda left Sydney during the intermission of the last opera presentation attended by the Queen of Englad, so as to leave at 11:00 PM before the strike and arrive 4:20 AM Oct. 23rd.
That night (last night) we attended the [Renata] Tebaldi and [Franco] Corelli presentation at the Cultural Center.
although the new Constitution provides that no private corporation or association may hold alienable lands of the public domain except by lease, he asserted that domestic private companies with 60 per cent Filipino capital may acquire lands under the new charter.
SECRETARY of Information Francisco S. Tatad said no one may collect fees of any kind from media personnel in connection with their work The DPI chief at the same time announced that the collection of fees from media establishment by the Media Advisory Council has been suspended. The secretary invited parties from whom the MAC had collected fees in spite of the memorandum to report to the authorities so that the violators could be apprehended.
THE PRESIDENT expressed gratification over the findings of a 160-man survey mission of the Kam Ngan Stock Exchange of Hongkong which arrived here in the Philippines to study the investment and business possibilities in the country. Mr. Woo Hon Fai, chairman of the Kam Ngan Stock Exchange, which is the biggest in Hongkong, informed the President that “your country is ideal for foreign investment, especially” by the people of Hongkong.” Mr. Woo Hon Fai said they had observed the general peace and order situation, the abundance of the country’s natural resources, its sufficient labor force at reasonable wages, very sensible labor laws and attractive government incentives which include protection of foreign investments. The President in return expressed the hope that more frequent mission will arrive and help in the economic development program under the New Society.
But I enjoyed the dinner at Salangan more where we sang and danced. Both Tebaldi and Corelli sang with us. Tebaldi is very lively and vibrant.
Today, the 24th, I swore in Chief Justice Querube Makalintal. Justice Fred Ruiz Castro hopes Makalintal will be retired at 65 but it looks like Makalintal will hold on till he is 70.
And the stock exchange investors of Hongkong are coming in. those of the Kai Ngan Exchange (the biggest in Hongkong) came in to pay a courtesy call on me today.