Was guest speaker at the Federation of Free Farmers convention at Christ the King from 10:00 AM to 12:00 [P]M.
I repeated my pledge to help this organization attain its objectives which is the ownership of the land to the tillers. It is my intention to strengthen them so that the communists may not succeed in harnessing the people with grievances to their cause.
They do not advocate violence which I oppose.
And they support the principles I stand for.
There are many politicians like Lorenzo Sarmiento of Davao del Norte who feel that the Free Farmers are a threat to our Republic. They are indeed a threat, not to the Republic, but to the big landgrabbers, ranchers, forest concession owners and the selfish dishonest politicians.
So I released P250,000 for the PCCSJR [sic] [Presidential Coordinating Committee for Social Justice and Agrarian Reform (PCCSJAR)] which is chairmanned by Sec. Conrado Estrella with the FFF represented by Edgardo Veriña and Charlie Avila.
This commission acts immediately on all complaints or valid grievances by the tenants and small farmers. It performs what a regular government office should be performing in the prevention of social discontent erupting in violence not only against the government but against the oppressive individuals in our society.
So I encourage it.
And I will appoint more CAR [Court of Agrarian Relations] judges as well as reexamine the grant of big grazing lands and the sale of public lands to private persons.
Official Gazette for October 3, 1971: President Marcos motored out of Malacañang at mid-morning for Quezon City to address the 18th annual convention of the Free Farmers Federation (FFF), held at the Divine Word Mission Seminary gymnasium.
In his speech, the President assured the farmers of the country that the administration will continue to initiate and extend all-out support to measures designed to ameliorate their living conditions.
He also announced two basic measures designed to help the small farmers and the farm workers, particularly in the sugar industry, namely, the formulation of a basic land distribution policy and the creation of a sugar council to administer the special amelioration fund. The President directed Secretary of Agrarian Reform Conrado F. Estrella to draft, in collaboration with the secretary of agriculture and natural resources, the commissioner of the Small Farmers Commission, and the directors of land and of forestry, an administrative order setting down the basic policy. He lauded the FFF as a kind of movement that would be helped by the government and by every Filipino because, he said, it “is carrying the banner of democratic revolution in the countrysides.”
The President was back at Malacañang in time for lunch. He took some rest afterward, and then worked on state papers later in the afternoon.
Distributed my book on Revolution.
Also checked on the translation of the book into the dialects, the use of the Audio Visual units and other campaign materials.
Another storm has just hit Samar and Typhoon Signal No. 1 is up in Manila.