Office of the President of the Philippines
Media
Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal
- Title
- Office of the President of the Philippines
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1950
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- The Business View A monthly review of facts, trends, forecasts, by Manila businessmen Office of the President of the Philippines From an Official Source JANUARY 1 — Announced at Malacanan that the Government has adopted a national policy, recommended by the National Economic Council, requiring that all government instrumentalities, including government corporations, must ship their cargo on Philippine-owned vessels or planes if such carriers are available at the time of shipment. Conference rates are, however, to be observed. Secretary of Finance Pio Pedrosa announces the appointment of Col. Antonio Torres, pre-war Manila Chief of Police, as head of the treasury agents of the Finance Department. Jan. 3 — President Elpidio Quirino issues a proclamation extend ing for one day the period of the current special session of Congress in order to finish action on urgent legislative measures. The President names Vice-President Fernando Lopez Chairman of the Government Enterprises Council, commenting, in making the designation, that the Vice-President has a “good business mind". The President holds a breakfast conference with the members of the Monetary Board to discuss the general economic situation and also the present state of the gold-mining industry. The President appoints a committee of three, headed by Secretary of Public Works and Communications P. Sanidad, to study the petition of the Metropolitan Water District and the National Power Corpora tion for the allocation of sites for their buildings in the former Sternberg Hospital area. The Cabinet concurs in the President’s offer of amnesty to the Batangas dissidents who surrender unconditionally with their fire-arms. Announced that the Department of Foreign Affairs has made representations to the American Embassy to allow Philippine ship operators an option to buy the vessels chartered by them from the U.S. Maritime Commission whose authority to charter the vessels expires on June 30. Jan. 4 — The President issues Proclamation No. 164 granting am nesty to the leaders and members of the Batangas uprising which began on November 19, last year. The Department of Foreign Affairs announces that an American trade mission headed by Mayor W. F. Devin of Seattle is expected to arrive in Manila on February 1 for a survey of trade potentialities between the Philippines and the United States west coast. The mis sion was invited to come to the Philippines by the Philippine, American, and Chinese chambers of commerce in Manila. Philippine Consul Pedro C. Ramirez of Seattle has been granted authority to accompany the mission. Jan. 5 —Announced that the President has directed Secretary of Justice R. Nepomuceno to reexamine the contract entered into in 1948 with Mollers & Choy, a Hongkong firm, for the salvage of sunken ships in Philippine waters. The company stopped its operations when it was warned by the United States Government that any scrap metals or copper concentrates obtained by them would be seized as property of the American Government. Announced that the President has authorized the Department of Foreign Affairs to make representations to the United Nations for the enlistment of two experts on Virginia tobacco to assist the National Tobacco Corporation,—in line with the world-wide program of the United Nations to lend technical assistance to underdeveloped areas. The Corporation has launched a 5-year project for the production of yellow leaf (Virginia) tobacco to be used in the local manufacture of American-type cigarettes. Jan. 6 — Implementing the Import Control Law extension (ex tended by Congress to April 30, 1950, the President appoints a new Import Control Board and a new Import Control Commissioner. The Board now consists of Secretary of Commerce and Industry Comelio Balmaceda, Solicitor General Felix A. Bautista, representing the De partment of Justice, Deputy Governor Alfonso Calalang, represent ing the Central Bank, President Aurelio Periquet, representing the Philippine Chamber of Commerce, and Miss Helen Benitez, repre senting the consumers. The new Commissioner is Dr. Rufino Luna, former Under-Secretary of the Interior and until recently Philippine delegate to the United Nations South Korean Commission. Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources P. L. Mapa sub mits to the President at a Cabinet meeting the contract just signed between the National Abaca and Other Fibers Corporation and J. H. Marsman for a large-scale production of abaca on the NAFCO reserva tion in Davao, the contract requiring the final approval of the Pres TREND OF REAL WAGES OF WAGE EARNERS IN INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS IN MANILA, BY OCCUPATIONS: 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948 By the Bureau of the Census and Statistics OCCUPATION AVERAGE DAJLY WAGES (PESOS) INDEX (1941 = 100) DAILY REAL WAGES- (PESOS) 1941 |1 1945 I 1946 | 1947 | 1948‘ 1945 | 1946 I 1947 | 19481 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948' Blacksmiths.................. 2.55 4.25 5.57 6.55 6.57 166.6 218.4 256.9 257.6 0.62 1.07 1.69 1.80 Boilermen...................... 2.82 6.40 5.20 6.12 6.93 226.9 184.3 233.6 245.7 0.94 1.00 1.58 1.90 Carpenters.................... 2.75 6.02 6.66 7.20 7.21 218.9 242.1 261.8 262.2 0.97 1.28 1.86 1.98 Chauffeurs......... ........... 1.64 4.05 5.78 6.55 6.22 264.9 352.4 399.4 379.5 0.59 1.11 1.69 1.71 Cigar-makers............... 0.96 2.83 4.87 5.37 5.21 294.7 507.2 559.3 542.7 0.41 0.93 1.39 1.58 Compositors................. 1.84 6.14 7.29 7.86 7.54 333.6 396.1 427.2 409.8 0.90 1.40 2.03 2.07 Draftsmen.................... 3.28 7.54 7.48 8.73 10.00 232.9 228.0 266.2 304.9 1.10 1.44 2.25 2.75 Electricians.................. 2.67 5.20 7.82 7.88 7.84 194.7 292.8 295.1 293.6 0.76 1.50 2.03 2.15 Foremen........................ 3.35 7.38 7.96 8.63 8.63 220.2 237.6 257.6 257.6 1.08 1.53 2.23 2.37 Lathemen...................... 2.60 4.88 7.31 8.23 8.14 187.7 281.1 316.5 313.1 0.71 1.40 2.13 2.23 Linotypists.................. 2.64 10.22 10.17 10.08 10.07 387.1 385.2 381.8 381.4 1.50 1.95 2.22 2.76 Machinists.................... 2.23 5.75 6.48 8.59 8.79 257.8 290.5 385.2 394.2 0.84 1.24 2.60 2.41 Masons....'.................. 1.94 5.90 6.58 6.89 6.68 304.1 339.1 355.2 344.3 0.86 1.26 1.78 1.83 Mechanics (auto).... 3.00 7.46 6.90 8.08 8.02 248.6 230.0 269.3 267.3 1.08 1.32 2.09 2.20 Painters.......................... 1.83 7.77 6.28 7.73 7.11 424.5 343.1 422.4 388.5 1.14 1.21 2.00 1.95 Plumbers....................... 2.00 4.80 7.67 7.77 7.73 240.0 383.5 388.5 386.5 0.70 1.47 2.01 2.12 Tinsmiths...................... 1.72 4.23 5.04 8.28 8.20 245.9 293.0 481.4 476.7 0.62 0.97 2.14 2.25 AVERAGE Skilled laborers........... 2.34 5.93 6.76 7.68 7.70 261.7 306.1 328.2 329.1 0.87 1.30 1.99 2.12 Common laborers.... 1.24 3.27 4.53 4.66 4.69 263.7 365.3 375.8 378.2 0.66 0.87 1.20 1.28 1 Preliminary, aubject to change. = Wage in terme of good* and services it can buy. This obtained by dividing the 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1948 wages, by the cost of living index for the year 1945 (683.3), 1946 (520.9), 1947 (387.1) and 1948 (364.1) respectively. Commonwealth Act No. 444 limits regular working hours to eight a day. 3 Revised in accordance with the new survey on the “Levels of Living in .Manila" by Department of Labor and the Bureau of the Census and Statistics, conducted in December, 1946. 64