145,000 hectares to be irrigated

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Part of Government Report

Title: 145,000 hectares to be irrigated
extracted text: Government Report, Monday, July 12,1976 7 145,000 Hectares To Be Irrigated National irrigation Administrator Alfredo Juinio disclosed last week that some 145,000 more hectares of ricefields in 10 provinces will be irrigated. Nine special irrigation systems are now being constructed by the government at a cost of P4 billion in local funds and $292 million in foreign exchange. Totalling nine projects, their completion is staggered to late next year. These projects are located in Bulacan, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Davao del Norte, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Bukidnon, and Agusan del Sur. According. to Administrator Juinio, the foreign exchange costs come from the Asian Development Bank, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund of Japan, and the United States Agency for International Development. The nine foreign-assisted projects are: 1. The Angat-Magat integratagricultural development project in Bulacan and Isabela. Rates For Hotel Rooms The government has taken steps to prevent the hotel industry from destroying itself i.—.V-' ' 1 ' u.Huncuea undercutting in room rate quotations. President Marcos last week signed a Letter of Instructions directing Secretary of Tourism Jose Aspiras to promulgate a schedule of viable minimum es for the different hotels, ...id to adopt means and safeguards to enforce the floor rates. The LOI was also directed to the Secretary of Labor and to the Commissioner of Immigration and Deportation. The move is intended to protect the huge investments of the government in the hotel industry and to prod the industry against the possibility of self-defeating operations that may be brought about by undue competition. In a report to the President, Secretary Aspiras pointed to the apprehension among hotel owners and managers of a prolonged oversupply of rooms after all the new hotels, 14 of them, are in operation, making a total of 12,000 hotel rooms. This has set off keen competition in the form of undercutting of room rates quoted, to a point where five-star (top category) deluxe hotels are in competition with existing four-star hotels. The prevalent practice of .hiring foreign managers on the basis of a percentage of the gross receipts without regard to profitability of the business is not The municipalities to be benefited are Angat, Bustos, Pandi, and San Rafael in Bulacan, and Alicia, San Mateo, Cabanatuan, Santiago, Luna, and Angadanan in Isabela. As of May 31, the project was 52.8 per cent complete. 2. The Aurora-Peñaranda irrigation project in Bulacan Nueva Ecija, and Pampanga, a transbasin diversion project with irrigation as its primary function. This project would divert the waters of the Canili and Diago rivers to the Pantabangan reservoir through the Digoliat river. Towns to be benefited are San Miguel and San Ildefonso in Bulacan, Cabiao, San Isidro, Peñaranda, and Gapan in Nueva Ecija* and Arayat in Pampanga. As of May 31, the project was 58.3 per cent complete. 3. Magat River multi-purpose project in Isabela and Quirino with irrigation and power generation as its major functions The project would also serve as domestic water supplier, fish conservation, flood control, and recreation facilities. The power potential of the project was estimated at 300 megawatts. It helping to discourage destructive competition, Aspiras said. In his LOI, the President directed the cancellation of the working permit and subsequent deportation of any non-Filipino found guilty of violating the minimum rates to be promulgated by the Department of Tourism. Meanwhile, Secretary Aspiras disclosed that he is proposing an innovative and “fair structure” on the airline policies of member-countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations. The proposal calls, among others, for ASEAN countries to arrange a standard price structure based on per mile computation exclusively applicable to ASEAN members. The tourism secretary noted that all airlines in ASEAN countries are either partially or fully subsidized by their respective governments, therefore a government-to-government negotiation will facilitate adoption of the policy. The regional travel program will also include policies which may facilitate going in and out of tourists from one ASEAN country to another with the use of only one travel card, Aspiras said. The tourism secretary said that he expects a favorable reaction from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the international consultative agency for airlines all over the world. was at a pre-engineering stage as of May 31. 4. Davao del Norte irrigation project which will cover the towns of Saug, Compostela, and Maguapo. The project will tap the Saug and Ba tutu rivers to benefit potential irrigation area of about 12,000 hectares. As of May 31, the project was 47.9 per cent complete. 5. Tarlac irrigation system improvement project which consists of four components, namely: rehabilitation and improvement of the Tarlac river irrigation system, the Camiling river irrigation system, and the San Miguel-O’Donnel river irrigation system: a ground-wat er pilot project; a national irrigation system improvement study; and water management training. As of May 31, the project was 10 per cent complete. 6. Pulangui river irrigation project whose main components are the construction of the diversion work across the Pulangui river in Bukidnon, distribution and drainage system, and construction of service roads, 7. Philippine rural developRP Ratifies Code Of Conduct For Liner Confabs The Philippines has ratified the Convention on a Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences. The Convention was framed in Geneva on April 6, 1974 by states desirous of improving the liner conference system. The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Convention took into account the special needs and problems of the developing countries with respect to the activities of liner conferences serving their foreign trade. Ratification of the Convention, according to the Foreign Office, is especially timely at this period because of the current Ministerial Meeting here of the Group of 77 of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Adoption of the Code is considered a major victory for the developing countries. The foreign office said that the unilateral imposition of freight-rate increases by conferences has long been a stigma associated with the arbitrary liner conference system. The provisions, therefore, on freight fixation, including surcharges, are welcome respite to shippers who have been perennially plagued by the problem. ment project in the provinces of Mindoro which will provide irrigation facilities, construct roads and bridges, improve port facilities, carry out a schistosomiasis control program, and assist the people. 8. Agusan del Sur irrigation project which will provide for the construction of irrigation and related agricultural facilities, inThe National Seamen Board of the Department of Labor reported that the amount of $10,145,598.24 was sent to the Philippines by Filipino seamen working on board foreign merchant ships during the first quarter of the year. * * * June 8, 1976 - President Marcos, fresh from his Russian visit, drove straight from the airport to a meeting in Malacañang with his cabinet where he ordered the release of funds for rehabilitation work in areas damaged by typhoon Didang. * * * A motion to quash rape charges filed against six scions of wealthy families was denied yesterday by Military Commission No. 12 headed by Col. Jesus S. Dizon. * * * President Marcos assured that the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics does not detract from the ties now existing between the Philippines and its friends and allies or with any other nation. He added that neither does it mean any alteration of our social, economic, or political system, nor should it alter the government’s basic policy on internal security. * * * Health officials advised the public to take precautions against respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases because of an increasing incidence of these ailments. * * * Judge Onofre A. Villaluz of the Rizal circuit criminal court cited a Constabulary lieutenant colonel for contempt and sentenced him to 10-day imprisonment and a fine of P200. Cited for contempt was Lt. Col. Donato L. Mata, commanding officer of the Camp Sampaguita Rehabilitation center in Muntincluding the development of second-growth forest in the towns of Bunawan and Salvación. 9. The Upper Pampanga river project which will provide irrigation facilities for about 22,000 hectares of ricefields. It would also serve as a power generation project lupa. * * * Application forms for the study-now, pay-later plan will be available in the Department of Education and Culture’s regional and division offices before the week ends. This was announced by Education Secretary Juan L. Manuel. * * * June 9, 1976 - President Marcos met with members of the Philippine panel that will negotiate with their American counterparts on the question of military bases being used by the United States in this country. The bases negotiations are scheduled to resume in Baguio city on June 15. * * * The Constabulary and the Price Stabilization Council started filing criminal charges against 174 alleged price violators in Luzon before various fiscal’s offices in the area. * * * Two 30-inch flood control and drainage lines designed to minimize Hooding at the western end of España street are expected to be completed tomorrow in time for the June 14 school opening. * * * The Department of Social Welfare has increased by 100 per cent its standby funds for emergency operations in all regions, provinces and cities prone to disaster. This was reported to President Marcos by Welfare Secretary Estefanía Aldaba-Lim. * * * The Manila Electric Company announced a six per cent reduction in its electric bills this month to customers. This was the result of the decision of the Oil Industry Commission upholding the Meralco overprice case against Caltex.
Date: 1976
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