Office of the President

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: Office of the President
Identifier: The business view
Language: English
Source: The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXIV (No. 1) January 1948
Year: 1948
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Abstract: A monthly review of facts, trends, forecasts by Manila businessmen
Fulltext: The Business View A monthly review of facts, trends, forecasts by Manila businessmen Office of the President From an Official Source DEC. 3 — President Manuel Roxas issues an execu tive order extending the period for the official stamping of old treasury certificates up to February 28, 1948. Dec. 4 — The President in a letter to Senator E. Rodriguez, replying to his request that he appoint a special board to investigate alleged election irregularities, states that the Commission on Elections is charged by the Consti tution with this function. He declares that while he will not encroach upon the prerogatives of the Commission, he would take immediate steps to prosecute if definite charges are brought against any person, and says that he has al ready asked the Secretary of Justice to instruct all provin cial and city fiscals to investigate promptly all complaints filed with them and to prosecute persons they consider guilty of violations of the Election Law. According to a Malacanan press release, internal revenue collections for the month of October rose to the unprecedented high of P26,266,035.55, surpassing the record of July of this year of P26,251^10.39. For the first 4 months of the present fiscal year (July 1 to October 31), gross internal revenue collections amounted to P85,290,094.11, or an increase of P41,998,608.53 over the collec tions for the same period in 1946. Dec. 6 — The President issues Executive Order No. 107 prohibiting the execution of government contracts which require the Government to make advance payment for services not yet rendered or materials not yet delivered. Dec. 8 — A former Tacloban, Leyte, policeman is reported to haVe been sentenced to 8 years imprisonment for having posed as an internal revenue agent, requiring certain Chinese merchants to permit him to examine their books, and demanding sums of money from them. Collec tor B. L. Meer requests the cooperation of the public in reporting all such cases. Dec. 9 — Malacanan authorizes the release of P200,000 from the Port Works Fund for the maintenance and repair of national ports, including dredging, following the damage caused by the recent typhoons. Dec. 10 — According to a Malacanan press release, Secretary of Justice R. Ozaeta sent out a circular dated December 5 to all prosecuting officers and justices of the peace informing them that the privilege of American con sular officials to interview, communicate with, and advise their nationals who are under arrest and in prison here, has been extended to the consular and diplomatic officials of other foreign countries as a matter of policy and inter national courtesy. Within two days of the filing of a cri minal complaint, judges must inform the Department of Justice, for transmittal to the foreign representative, the name and nationality of the alien involved, the charge, the date set for trial, etc. Dec. 11 — The President authorizes the extension to all provinces of the recent executive order authorizing the expenditure of 10% of the balance of public works funds in certain provinces for the repair of school buildings damaged during the last typhoons. Reported that the Committee of Looted Property, Malacanan, has received from the Philippine Reparations Mission to Japan a shipment of restituted property con sisting of 21 units of International Business Machines ac counting equipment. Formal transfer was made today to R. V. del Rosario, Manila manager of the Company. Dec. 12 — The Department of Foreign Affairs an nounces that it has informed the Chinese Legation of its desire to begin negotiations with the Chinese Government for the conclusion of an air-service agreement; the Depart ment is also considering the advisability of resuming confer ences on this subject with the Government of Siam. Dec. 15 — Malacanan releases Executive Order No110, signed December 12, organizing the Philippine Mis sion to the United Nations and providing for its direction and maintenance. With the exception of representatives to such international agencies as are now or may here after be placed under the administrative supervision of the Philippine Ambassador to the United States, or other officials whom the President may designate, the Philippine Mission will carry out the instructions of the President or the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. The Code Commission, headed by Dr. Jorge Bocobo. after 7 months of work, submits the proposed new Civil Code to the President, through Secretary of Justice Ozaeta. The Secretary congratulated the Commission on its work and expressed the trust that the Commission will complete the remaining two Codes, — the Penal Code and the Commercial Code, within the period given it by Exe cutive Order No. 48, which ends June 30, 1949. Announced that Commissioner of Social Welfare Asuncion A. Perez will leave for the United States on De cember 18 to observe welfare work there. Dec. 16 — Reported that Bureau Directors and Chiefs of Offices under the Department of Justice held a meeting on the 13th at which it was decided to use the agents of the National Bureau of Investigation to detect irregula rities on the part of officers and employees of the Govern ment and to "clean the government service of undesir ables”. It was also decided that in order to expedite the trial of cadastral cases, the General Land Registration Office should take steps toward reconstructing the cadas tral records so that titles may be issued; oncg cases are ready, judges will be assigned to devote their time exclu sively to them. According to a Malacanan press-release, the Philip pine Consulate General in New York now has a staff of 19 members. Since its establishment, December 4, 1946, and up to October 31, 1947, the net income realized by the Consulate General was P 160,600.36. The bulk of its busi ness was the authentication of consular invoices for ship ment of goods to the Philippines. Dec. 17 — The President issues Executive Order No. 112 permitting the export of sawn lumber under certain conditions. (See the column, "Lumber”, in "The Business View” pages of this issue.) Dec. 18 — Reported that the Cabinet is studying a plan to establish a "Boys’ Town” on a 240-hectare site at Mariquina. Dec. 19. — The President issues an executive order creating the "Boxing and Wrestling Commission”. Tirso Garcia, former Bank Commissioner, is appointed temporary chairman. Dec. 22 — A newly created Division of Nursing in the Department of Health is reported to have been for(Continued on page 24) 11 Philippine Government Corporations From an Official Source DEC.14—Mr. Jack Rapoport of Standard Products,Inc., aided by the staff of the National Development Com pany, gives a demonstration in the NDC compound of how a substitute milk may be produced from a mixture of skim-milk powder and refined coconut oil and water, pro cessed by a special machine, for a price of around 12 cen‘tavos a pint. Chocolate, sugar, and vitamins may be added to make the product more nutritious.* Dec. 23 — President Roxas informs the Cabinet that the Enterprises Council, which will be the ruling body of the different government enterprises, should be organized immediately and asks that an appropriate executive order be drafted. He also inquired after the plans on the Insti tute of Science soon to be organized. The Cabinet at the President’s request, approves turning over from the Sweepstakes Funds, P2,000,000 to the People’s Homesite and Housing Corporation for the construction of houses for low-salaried government em ployees. H. G. Henares, Assistant Manager and Executive Officer of the Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Corporation, has reported that the Corporation has earned a net profit of P918.631.82 from its activities which in cludes the sale of tractors and agricultural implements, the manufacture and sale of plows, the operation of repair shops, and the raising of crops. Sales during the fiscal year 1946-47, ending with the third quarter of 1947, amounted to P13,237,498.78. The Corporation paid a total of P2,392,461.85 to the Surplus Property Commission for trac tors and implements bought up to November 30. Its paid P508.453.73 in percentage taxes. Dec. 27 — Executive Order No. 114 is released re: quiring that all contracts for repair or construction work costing P3,000'or more, entered into by government cor porations, with certain exceptions are to be submitted to public bidding and awarded "to the lowest responsible bidder”. Dec. 27 — President Roxas instructs Director General I. Coscolluela of PRATRA to assume control over sugar prices, brown sugar to be sold at 35^ a kilo, washed sugar at 45^, and refined sugar at 55^, and instructs Mayor Fugoso and Chief of Police de la Fuente to close stores that sell at higher prices and prefer charges against the vendors. The President instructs the Director General of PRA TRA to commandeer all roofing materials and to take control of the prices of all building materials in order to avoid profiteering after the destruction caused by typhoon "Jean”. He also instructs him to release certain quantities of rice to the Red Cross for distribution to typhoon victims in Manila, Tayabas, and Laguna. Dec. 30 — The President appoints Filemon C. Rodriguez as Manager of the National Power Corporation, Filemon M. Zablan as Assistant Manager and Chief En gineer, and Casimiro Pagsanghan as Secretary-treasurer. The Cabinet creates the Government Enterprises Council which is to direct all government corporations; the members will be composed of the chairmen of the various boards of directors and the managing hqads of the corporations; the President of the Philippines will be Chair man and the Secretary of Commerce and Industry ViceChairman. ♦ Apropos of “luxuries,” a “specific” tax of 25 centavos per kilo is collected on skimmed milk imports! (Republic Act No. 56) Office of the President (Continued from page 11) mally organized to coordinate the nursing service in the different bureaus and offices of the Government. Mrs. Genara S. M. de Guzman is the Chief. Dec. 23 — The Cabinet approves setting aside an additional Pl00,000 from the Sweepstakes Funds for the purchase of athletic equipment for the public schools; a previous appropriation was for P50.000. Dec. 24 — The President signs 26 absolute pardons and 13 "special” absolute pardons, and 45 conditional pardons. Dec. 26 — The President orders all relief and welfare agencies to be on the alert, following a typhoon the center of which passed over Manila about 8 o’clock in the morning and which did extensive damage. Dec. 27 — Announced that President Roxas has ac cepted the resignation of Mayor Valeriano Fugoso to take effect January 1, 1948, and has appointed Chief of Police Manuel de la Fuente to succeed him. The President being informed by the Mayor and the Chief of Police of Manila that many "barong-barongs” (temporary building structures) have been destroyed by the typhoon, instructs the two officials to inform their owners that if they wish to rebuild, they must build on government lots which will be set aside for them. He also instructs them to start immediately the construction of permanent market buildings with second floors, as planned, which will be used to house vendors who have been using the streets. Announced that the Philippine Naval Patrol, of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, has been deputized by the Bureau of Customs for the enforcement of the Customs Laws. Captain Jose V. Andrada, Commander of the Patrol, issues a warning declaring that vessels ordered to stop must hoist the International Flag King and signal similarly with the searchlight, and if at night, by blinker or search light, and stop engines and lie to. If order to stop is not heeded, the Patrol vessel will first fire twice across the bow, then "shall be constrained to fire at the vessel to forcefully stop her”. Dec. 29 — The Cabinet approves the appointment of Vicente Orosa as Under-Secretary of Public Works vice Sergio Bayan who has been elected by the Board of Direc tors of the Manila Railroad Company as permanent Man ager after his release by the Department of Public Works. The Cabinet also approves the appointments of Dr. Regino Ylanan as National Physical Director, and Cirio H. Panganiban as interim Director of the Institute of National Language. Announced that the Agrarian Commission will be dissolved at the end of this year. Dec. 30 — At a conference between the President and the University of the Philippines Council, the President asking whether the members favor the transfer of the University to Quezon City, the reply is in the affirmative. The U. S. Army lease of the University site there will terminate December 31, 1948. Announced that Dagupan City will be formally in augurated on January 1, 1948. Dec. 31 — The President issues Proclamation No. 48 calling upon all young men, citizens of the Philippines, who will attain the age of 20 years during the calendar year 1948 to register for military service. The President announces that he will submit the Report of the Joint Philippine-American Finance Com mission and the Beyster Report to the National Economic Council, composed of the members of the Cabinet and a number of others, under the chairmanship of the VicePresident, to coordinate the Government’s economic po licies. 24