E.C.A. aid described

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Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal

Title: E.C.A. aid described
Creator: Araneta, Salvador
Language: English
Source: The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXVII (Issue No. 7) July 1951
Year: 1951
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Fulltext: crowded and inadequately supported from the alms of the rich. Where, seemingly, could Vivaldi have found less opportunity for the exercise of his genius? But it was for this institution that he wrote more than two hundred fifty concertos, some two every month, for many years. As a violinist himself, he emphasized the violin parts and so widened the technique as to gain an until then undreamed-of expressiveness for the instrument. The great Bach diligently studied his compositions and arranged over twenty of them for the organ and the clavier. Recently, his works have been revived for performance in the great concert halls of the world, and recordings have been made for the phonograph of some of his noble compositions. His music is full of fire and spirit, even the compositions written for the Mass. One does not hear the notes of self-abasement or lament even in the Kyrie and Miserere passages. All is joyousness and praise of God and his creation. This out of the dreariness of a foundling home! We may be sure that the Ospedale della Pieta could not for long have been described, after Vivaldi came there, as a silent, cheerless place, with quiet little waifs and older girls busy at their handwork or flitting timidly through the corridors. With the young, red-headed priest leading them, they were soon playing on their violins and a few other instruments and singing with all their might, the gifted taking the more difficult parts and those not so gifted, the easier. The Ospedale must have resounded with music from basement to attic, the glad, sweet strains heard throughout that quarter of the ancient city. It was not the place, or the time, or the position he was assigned to which gave Vivaldi his opportunity. He created his opportunity as he created his music. How often do we feel that if we only had the oppor tunity, we would do great things! But, we say, the cir cumstances are against us; we say that we can do nothing, that the situation is hopeless. But Vivaldi did not say: “I would, if...” or “I would, but...” He said: “I will. Even here, I will.” American Note to the Philippines re Broadening of the E.C.A. Program * *An address delivered on June 17 during the sixth program of the symphonic concert series, "Orchestras of the World", broadcast by Station DZRH in coopera tion with E.C.A. The economic aid program launched by the United States Government on April 6, 1951, was of interim character designed to promote economic strengthen ing and betterment in the Philippines until the United States Congress could be asked for authorization to estab lish an enlarged program of financial and technical aid. This program, for which $15,000,000 has already been allocated, proceeded from the substantial implementation by the Philippine Congress of the Quirino-Foster Agree ment of November, 1950, and from earlier recommenda tions of the United States Economic Survey Mission in September, 1950. “2. In further implementation of the Quirino-Foster Agreement: “(A) The President of the United States in his message to Con gress of May 24, 1951, on Foreign Aid, has requested funds which would make possible additional grants in the fiscal year 1952, for tjie purpose of substantially expanding the initial program already started in the Philippines by the Economic Cooperation Administration’s Special Technical and Economic Mission; and “(B) The Export-Import Bank of Washington is prepared to enter into discussions with representatives of the Philippine Govern ment looking toward the establishment of credits for productive pro jects in the Philippines. “3. In the extension of this grant and loan assistance, the Economic Cooperation Administration and the Ex port-Import Bank will be closely associated to the end that both loans and grants shall be utilized as part of a single integrated and coordinated program of United States aid and Philippine Government efforts designed to help build economic strength in the Philippines and assist in meeting the needs and aspirations of the Philippine people. ‘‘4. These actions reflect the confidence of the Govern ment of the United States that continued progress will be made in carrying out the recommendations of the United States Economic Survey Mission.” •Full text of a note delivered on June 16 to Philippine Foreign Secretary Carlos P. Romulo for President Elpidio Quirino by Julian Harrington, United States Charge de’ Affaires and William Stanley Allen Jr., Acting Chief of the U. S. Special Economic and Technical Mission in Manila. E.C.A. Aid Described * By Salvador Araneta Administrator of Economic Coordination “T AM glad to have this opportunity to speak about our | national economy in terms of what E.C.A. is doing to help us stimulate and develop it. In a very real sense, this assistance from the United States is like a spark plug needed to keep the motor of our economy running with the right degree of power. Let us look at how this works. “The main task facing this country now is that of raising the standard of living of all our people, particularly those at lowest income levels. This means a program of economic development designed to bring about full utilization of those of our human and natural resources at present unused. It means the diversification of economy, the establishment of industries suited to local conditions, the attain ment of higher levels of production, employment and expanding foreign trade. “The Philippine Government has undertaken this vital task, not only by enacting laws which make develop ment possible, but, more positively, by actually initiating specific projects in those fields which do not attract private investment. “Today our efforts are reinforced by a program of E.C.A. aid in the form of both material assistance and technical advice. At this crucial moment in our nation’s 216 history, this help from the United States is more than wel come. “E.C.A. aid will be used for what might be called stimulator projects, designed to set off a chain of other and even greater projects, spreading their benefits into the far corners of our economy. “For example, the scientific use of irrigation and fertilizer will increase agricultural production very sub stantially. This-will directly benefit farmers, who form the backbone of the country; it will enable them to earn more, to avoid resort to usurers, and to lift themselves out of poverty. But it will also benefit consumers, since increased supplies of agricultural products will be available at lower prices to the public, as well as for export to earn foreign exchange for our import needs. “Or take power. Completion of power projects such as Maria Cristina and Ambuklao will electrify vast areas of country. The provision of power from new sources like these will bring electricity to great numbers of farm homes, enable businessmen to establish industrial plants in areas which have hitherto been wilderness, and give rural families an opportunity to supplement their farm incomes by work ing in cottage industries and by seeking employment in the new enterprises that spring up. “Road-building is another instance of strategic in vestment. A road built into an unsettled area with the help of ECA materials will make that area accessible to pioneers. Settlement will be speeded up, overpopulated areas will be decongested, and the land problem will be eased. Agricultural production will rise. And the same roads which enable settlers to populate an area will in later years enable them to bring their products to market centers. “Finally, let us not forget that private enterprise has an important role to play in our economic development; the Government cannot and should not do everything. As one spur to private investment the ECA program in cludes provision for the importation of producers’ goods into the country. These producers’ goods will be made available to local manufacturers, and will mean more jobs for local labor and eventually more finished products for consumers. They will help to conserve our dollar reser ves. They will help to break bottlenecks that may occur in our development program. “Thus, moderate amounts of ECA aid applied at strategic points in the economy will open the door to in numerable opportunities for advancing our own self-help measures. It is up to us, Government and people alike, to see to it that these opportunities do not go to waste.” The Report of the Advisory Committee on Urban Land and Housing Distribution By F. Calero F. Calero & Company, Realtors I HAVE been asked by the editor of the American Cham ber of Commerce Journal to summarize the Report of the Advisory Committee on Urban Land and Housing Distribution, of which I was appointed Chairman by the Administrator of Economic Coordination, Dr. Salvador Araneta. The Committee was appointed on February 28, 1951, and besides myself, the members were realtors A. B. Aquino, Teodoro Kalaw, Jr:, R. O. Subido, and A. U. Valencia. All of us are members of the Manila Realty Board and we accepted our appointments as a call for public service. We proceeded on the basis of a study of the system of land ownership in the Philippines, from which system so many of our present ills are derived. We studied the laws creating the People’s Homesite Corporation and the National Housing Corporation, both enacted during the administration of the late President Quezon as a part of his social justice program. The two entities were merged in the People’s Homesite and Housing Corporation by the late President Roxas (Executive Order No. 93, October 4, 1947). This year, under Executive Order No. 399 (Jan uary 5), providing for uniform charters for government corporations, the purposes of the Corporation, which has an authorized capital of P15,000,000, were formulated as follows: “(a) To acquire, develop, improve, subdivide, lease, and sell lands, and construct, lease, and sell buildings or any interest therein in the cities and populous towns of the Philippines with the object of providing decent housing for those who may be found unable otherwise to provide themselves therewith; "(b) To promote the physical, social, and economic betterment of the inhabitants of the cities and populous towns of the Philippines by eliminating therefrom slums and dwelling places which are unhygenic or unsanitary and by providing homes at low cost to replace those which may be so eliminated; “(c) To provide community and institutional housing for destitute individuals and families and for paupers; “(d) To acquire large estates under such terms and conditions as may be advantageous to the public interest, for their subdivision and resale to bonafide occupants; and "(e) To exercise the right of eminent domain for the purposes for which the Corporation was organized. After a study of these and other laws and executive orders relating to the subject of urban land and housing we looked into the different phases of the actual operations of the entities concerned, Dr. Araneta having requested all government corporations and offices under the Office of Economic Coordination, particularly the People’s Home site and Housing Corporation, to extend the usual court esies and cooperation to the Committee in the performance of its work. In a short article such as this, I think it best to sum marize what the Report has to say under the headings “Comment” and “Recommendations”. Under “Comment”: (1) The Rural Progress Administration, in taking over some urban landed estates in Manila and the adjoining towns of Malabon and Baclaran, made no attempt to eliminate the slums and, in fact, sub divided the estates into smaller lots than those prescribed as minimum by the National Urban Planning Commission for private subdivision * projects. The RPA made no improvements in any of the subdivisions and yet in nearly all cases charged prices almost the same or even in excess of what private subdividers would have charged under the cir cumstances. (2) The squatter problem in Manila as well as in many other urban centers is a serious one, and the situated is worsened by the failure of the police agencies to stop illegal construction. (3) Illegal construction in Manila, Quezon City, Pasay City, and elsewhere is resorted to in many cases because of the difficulties and complexities involved in securing official building permits and the rigid requirements in the various city ordinances with respect to the height and dimensions of rooms, size of structural members, etc., even in the case of small houses. Many of these requirements are obsolete, and there is too much red tape. (4) A substantial portion of the lands held by the Philippine Home site and Housing Corporation has been immobilized because of reserva tions made by the NUPC; there is need for action with respect to dis posing of these large tracts of idle land. (5) The price of lots sold by the PHHC has been so low as to leave a substantical profit margin for speculators who in many cases have purchased some of the best lots with the intention of reselling them. The price-setting has been haphazard with entirely too small a differen tial between front and back lots. 217
pages: 216-217