When my former Chief in Baclieu, Col. Limbacher, who was transferred to Cantho as Chief, Projects Office, learned about my decision to return to Manila, he wrote a very strong recommendation to the Chief, United States Aid for Development (USHO) in the Philippines to have me employed by them. I was immediately accepted, with the position as Property Officer, USAID, U.S. Embassy.
My job was to give away for FREE all excess military property in the Subic Naval Base and Clark Air Base that were needed for Community Development, to government and civilian entities such as schools, hospitals, municipalities, cities, provinces, and even private individuals when I approved. With my signature on a USHO form, any person could load or haul the tagged excess properties, such as hospital and school equipment, and supplies consisting of ambulances, beds, mattresses, building materials, including Quonset huts, cargo trucks, school buses, generators, electric wires and appliances, desks, tables, cabinets, refrigerators, freezers, carts, etc., etc.
The Agriculture Department got tractors, gas-powered pumps, cargo trucks, sprayers, and other farm equipment and supplies, all for FREE.
Every day Provincial Governors, City Mayors, Municipal Mayors, Superintendents, Principals, Teachers, Doctors, and even Priests having schools, orphanages, hospitals, came to beg me to allow them to be at the base for free equipment or items needed by them. Hence, I had friends from the northernmost tip of Luzon in Batanes Island, to the southernmost tip of Mindanao in Tawi-Tawi Island.
On weekends I visited the place where these free items were taken to check up on their uses in ISABELA, LA UNION, ILOCOS NORTE, BAGUIO, LAGUNA, BULACAN, SAN JOSE, etc. Pat and our children accompanied me in these inspections.
Hence, when Jojo was a candidate from Abra for Miss Red Feather Philippines in 1970, her votes paid in pesos were almost double her runner-up. Ours (SIBAYAN) alone were ₱17,000.00!
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