Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
10th—
Asalto—Dinner, Program with the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] generals in an all male Bagong Anyo!! Pounded the table to splinters from hilarity. They looked so credible—as street walkers.
11th—
Official Gazette for September 10, 1973: THE PRESIDENT called for fresh dedication to the goals of the New Society and warned anew against complacency and backsliding which could wash out the gains achieved since last year. He sounded the call on the eve of his birthday, during the testimonial parade given in his honor by the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. The traditional parade is given by the Armed Forces to the President as their Commander-in-Chief in connection with the celebration of his birthday. Speaking for the military, General Romeo Espino, AFP chief of staff, pledged to the President “our fullest measure of dedication and loyalty, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” The President in return thanked the AFP for its manifestation of loyalty to the Republic.
RUSSIAN trade and oil exploration mission signified keen interests in assisting the Philippine oil exploration program and expanding the current trade relations between the two countries. N. P. Shirjaev, head of the eight-man economic mission, said in a conference with Director-General Gerardo P. Sicat of the National Economic and Development Authority that the aim of the mission in the country is to foster closer economic cooperation between the Soviet Union and the Philippines, “based on the principle of reciprocity and mutual benefit for the two nations.” The Russian Mission is divided into an oil exploration and trade team, composed of oil exploration experts and officials of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Trade.
THE PRESIDENT and the First Lady led the people in paying their last respects to Rufino J. Cardinal Santos who was interred at the Manila Cathedral crypt in Intramuros at high noon.
The First Couple participated at the funeral rites requiem Mass officiated at the main altar by Julio Cardinal Rosales of Cebu, the only remaining Filipino prince of the Catholic Church and concelebrated by other ranking members of the Catholic hierarchy. The body lowered into its final resting place at 12 noon amid the sounding of taps and the booming of an 11-gun salute.
DEPARTMENT of Health has dispatched a team of 14 health officials and employees to Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, to render medical and health services to a cultural community group of 8,000 Mangyans. Secretary of Health Clemente S. Gatmaitan said that the health mission to the hinterlands of Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro was the result of representations made by the president of the Philippine Public Health Association and director of the Bureau of Quarantine of the Department of Health. The Mangyans who are the object of the health mission live far from the health facilities provided in Mansalay and therefore their health needs have to be attended to at least in a special way, the health secretary said.
Official Gazette for September 11, 1973: THE PRESIDENT directed Foreign Secretary Carlos P. Romulo to finalize negotiations for the opening of diplomatic relations with four communist countries in Eastern Europe—Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland and Hungary. Secretary Romulo was also told by the President to ask Philippine chiefs of missions in African and Middle East countries to act in concurrent capacities in nearby countries where the Philippines has no diplomatic mission.
THE PRESIDENT announced the creation of the Department of Industry primarily to push through the development of small and medium-sized industries. The head of the new department is Chairman Vicente Paterno of the Board of Investments.
SOME 600 infrastructure projects and other undertakings have either been started or inaugurated in different cities, municipalities and barrios throughout the country as gift to the President. The projects included emergency
My birthday—The theme was austerity no frivolity. Mass, Ecumenical blessing at the landing in front of Maharlika, Dept. exhibits of accomplishments, Diplomatic toast (We found the use of the power all of Hydrazine which is under experimentation by our experts, to power a TV to see the Mohammad Ali-Ken Norton fight which Ali won on a split decision).
Received visitors—Tondo slum dwellers (distributed 96 apartments). The heirs of Sultan Kudarat, University heads and scholars (the UP [University of the Philippines] head, SP [Salvador] Lopez gave me a bust in bronze which prompted me to say in my remarks that the downfall of leaders often start [sic] when they acquire a feeling of indestructibility and infallibility), The International Students, Boy Scouts, Barangays the Quezon Guerillas and USAFIP, NL [United States Army Forces in the Philippines – Northern Luzon].
Cabinet meeting from 1-3 PM.
Then dinner with some friends at Heroes Hall where we watched the Stars presentation, Alay ng Bayanat Rizal Park by about 500 Movie, TV and Radio stars which was seen by a million and a half people—of course I left ahead of the others to go to bed after video taping my thanks to the stars at Rizal Park.
12th
hospitals, multi-purpose and feeding centers, irrigation system and assorted public works projects. The project costs ranged from as high as P3 million to as low as P2,000. Among the biggest undertakings is P3-million manpower training center at Iligan City. The other places which have the most number of projects and undertakings inaugurated were in Nalbagan, Negros Occidental—29, Cotabato—17, Capiz—15, Baguio City—14, Dagupan City—13, Pangasinan—13 Cabanatuan City—12 and Legaspi City—11. Most of the projects were self-help undertakings which were completed as joint efforts between the people and the government.
THE PRESIDENT announced that the Philippines is ready to set up a two-million-ton integrated iron and steel plant, a key step that will place the country in the rank of industrialized nations. The plant is estimated to cost $800 million. The project was revealed in a speech of the President read for him by Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor Jr. before the eight-nation Southeast Asia Iron and Steel Institute at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The President invited member countries of the institute to share the facility should they be needing semi finished steel until the appropriate time that they can set up their own steel-producing facilities. He said that countries outside of the region are welcome to invest in the venture.
GOVERNMENT’S agrarian reform and agricultural production programs got a big boost with the signing of a P50-million Belgian franc ($1.5 million) loan agreement between the Philippines and Belgium. The loan agreement was signed by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo and Belgian Ambassador J. L. Lebacq at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Although the agreement did not specify the purpose of the loan, the recipient Philippine government intends to utilize the proceeds of the loan in the implementation of various development programs in the New Society, particularly in the fields of agrarian reform and agricultural production
Official Gazette for September 12, 1973: THE PRESIDENT has appropriated the total amount of P406.88 million for the rehabilitation and development of Mindanao tagged as one of the more urgent and priority goals of the government. The amount, appropriated under Presidential Decree No. 290, include the following; Rehabilitation, P25,071,000; institutional building of local government, P1,007,000; food production, P3,096,000; health, P22,063,000; education and manpower, P33,052,000; and infrastructure, P320 million. The Chief Executive stressed that the policy of the Government to promote and accelerate growth and development of Mindanao is one of the more urgent and priority goals.
THE PRESIDENT lauded the country’s colleges and universities for their services in the education of the youth. Addressing the heads of public and private colleges and universities, the President said that the Philippines has the second highest percentage of college students in relation to its population. This was due, he said, to the joint efforts of the private and public sectors, with the former assuming the greater bulk of educating the youth. The President
Went water skiing near Lido Beach at Rosario, Cavite.
Cris or Tina Revilla collapsed from a [sallabi?] sting while I was ______.
Drama! Crisis! Including injections of Adrenalin (Bongbong says Edralin for short!), Chlor Trimeton (anti-histamine). She called it the Aquamarine. Most women go through life guided by colors—a helicopter dash to MMC [Makati Medical Center] hospitalization under the nursing care of Lt. Col. [Corbatir?] and Mari Tess in short shorts which probably distracted the medical staff more than the ailment.
Threatened Tracheotomy, then Intensive Care Unit at Makati Medical. Dra. Cua Lim, Internationally recognized allergist.
The relative of the patient next door casually observing death usually follows such sensitivity to jellyfish—(It was probably a Portuguese man of war) to Tina’s hysterical (?) matter.
Actually a nephew of Tito Yulo died of jellyfish sting after a week. Dr. Cua Lim says the toxic substance has a curare-like effect. Paralyzing the respiratory muscles and nervous system.
was presented with a bronze bust by President Salvador P. Lopez of the University of the Philippines as the State University’s “most outstanding and distinguished son.”
PHILIPPINE Medical Care Commission advised Medicare members who are away from home to provide their families with the necessary papers for hospital admission as Medicare beneficiaries. Dr. Pacifico E. Marcos, PMCC chairman said that there are reports that Medicare legal dependents who do not have the necessary documentations are encountering difficulties in seeking hospital admissions as Medicare patients. Dr. Marcos said that the Medicare member whose legal dependents do not live with him should always provide the latter with the following: 1) A duly accomplished Employer’s Medicare Contribution Certification and Member’s Authorization which are Parts I and II of PMCC Form No. 1; 2) A duly validated information for Medicare membership if the employee is a GSIS member or SSS Form E-1 if the employee is an SSS member; 3) A duly accomplished affidavit that the wife or husband is not an employee or annuitant and therefore a legal dependent; and 4) A duly accomplished affidavit that the parent is wholly dependent for support from the Medicare member who may be a son or a daughter and that the parents’ other children are not supporting him.
THE PRESIDENT called upon all boy scouts and scouters to carry on in the highest tradition of good scouting, the current efforts of the Filipino to build a progressive and prosperous New Society. In a speech read for him by Secretary of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile during the cornerstone-laying ceremonies for the million-peso annex building of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in Ermita, Manila, the Chief Executive noted that the BSP has participated in many development programs of the Government, including food production, tree-planting and reforestation, community beautification and sanitation campaigns, and anti-narcotics drive.
DEPARTMENT of Tourism announced that the foreign tourist arrivals for the month of August totaled 19,793 representing an increase of 59 per cent compared with August of last year. Japanese arrivals increased by a record-breaking 118.8 per cent from 2,455 in August last year to 5,299 last month. British arrivals registered an increase of 89.5 per cent. Australian tourists were up by 36.8 per cent from 837 in August 1972 to 1145 last August. Americans increased by 23 per cent from 4,067 to 5,033. Tourism Secretary Jose D. Aspiras said these increases have broken all records during the last 15 years and are indicative of a coming boom in tourism.
THE PRESIDENT created a special committee on rice procurement to monitor and control effectively pricing and procurement activities of government entities and the private sector for the coming Masagana 99 produce and other future crops. In a letter of instructions, the Chief Executive designated the secretary of agriculture and natural resources as chairman of the special committee, with the undersecretary of national defense, the commissioner of customs, the administrator of the National Grains Authority and the president of the Philippine National Bank, as members.
Bongbong was in a greater state of shock than anybody else. (This statement has caught my attention and I am suing for libel FM II)
Sand castles on the beach—with Bullseye around—Ex nihilo nihil fit (EX NIHILO nihil FIT) He tasted the sand. Swam and looked like a tubercular.
Bully wiped out all traces of the dreams and fantasies of the young—Magic casements opening in the foam—off shores off fairy lands forlorn. Ergo—Build on rock—never on shifting sands!!
—PM 2-3:30 PM
Dental Advertisement—
Ride an outboard with Bully at 30 knots on three feet waves, pulling the President and Bongbong on water skis.
Then see your dentist for falsies.
But at 5:00 PM Tina was wisecracking in bed already—low decolletage and all!
So on to the Asalto for Bongbong at the Palace.
Interesting day!
13th—
This sentence enclosed in parentheses was written by FM’s son Bongbong.
Official Gazette for September 13, 1973: THE PRESIDENT has formed a special committee to conduct a study on how to cut down the use of electric power in all public buildings and public entities. The Presidential committee is composed of the secretaries of national defense, public works, transportation and communications and of local government and community development. The committee was directed by the Chief Executive to study how public buildings and government agencies could cut down on their power consumption particularly for lighting purposes by at least 10 per cent.
THE GOVERNMENT gave official recognition to Muslim holidays when the President decreed that such holidays shall be officially observed in all Muslim areas. Under Presidential Decree No. 291 the following shall henceforth be recognized as Muslim holidays: 1) Sid-Ul-Adha (Hariraya/Hadji) which falls on the tenth, day of the 12th lunar month of Sull-haj; 2) Muharram (ashura) which falls on the 10th day of the first lunar month Muharam; 8) Hid-Ul-Fitr which falls on the first day of the 10th lunar month of Showwnl; and 4) Maulod-En-Nadi (prophet’s birthday) which falls on the 12th day of the third lunar month of Rabbi-Awwal. The action of the President, the latest in a series of official decrees promulgated to rehabilitate and develop the Muslims regions and accelerate Muslim integration into the streams of national life would enable Muslim Filipinos to observe their holidays which is equally observed by Muslims all over the world.
FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Carlos P. Romulo called on all Asian nations to join the Asian Forum which, in the words of the President, “will put back into Asian hands the future of Asia and lessen the danger that we shall again be a plaything of the gods.” Secretary Romulo made the appeal in a luncheon meeting given in his honor by H. E. Gough Whitlam, Prime Minister of Australia at the Parliament House. Addressing the top Australian state officials, Secretary Romulo said: “Now that we and other countries of Southeast Asia and the Southwestern Pacific face an uncertain future, there is every reason why we must get together in our planning rooms to build a new structure of relationship to symbolize, and translate into action, our common aspirations for the prosperity and the peace of our region.
Bongbong’s Birthday! He is now 16 years old. And as of now he’s put his mark on my diary.
Issued the instructions and powers of the delegations to the international meetings.
THE PRESIDENT ordered the release of P3.75 million for prawn and shrimp development project in Iloilo, which promises not only to provide the country with its biggest dollar earner but will also make it the center of prawn and shrimp production in Asia. Upon the President’s instruction, Agriculture Secretary Arturo Tanco Jr. turned over the amount, representing initial contributions of the Philippines and Japan, to the Mindanao State University, which is supervising the project. The contributions represented P1.7 million from the National Grains Authority, as proceeds of the Japanese-donated rice; P1.5 million from the MSU; P500,000 from the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and P50,000 from the Bureau of Fisheries.