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March 30, 1936

Made the commencement address at the School of Surveying of the University of the Philippines, talking on the subjects of the Friar Land Estates in Luzon and the development of Mindanao. Largest commencement the school has ever had.

Later, I interviewed H. C. Anderson at the Manila Hotel on the reorganization of the Bureau of Customs. He said that Collector Aldanese is o.k., and what is needed is to raise the salaries of the appraisers and also to send a Filipino appraiser to be on the staff of the United States Commercial attaches in Kobe, Shanghai and Hong Kong to check invoices; also we need a Customs Judge here.

At Malacañan, I learned that Quezon goes off tomorrow on his trip to the Bicols and to his birthplace: Baler. Hope I don’t have to go up the Pacific coast in the little Arayat in this gale of wind. Expect not, as he has said nothing further to me about the trip.

We attended the “Commencement” of the University of the Philippines’ Conservatory of Music–Bocobo, Mrs. Quezon and Roxas were there. About 15 graduating students performed and a like number of the Philippine Army band handled the “heavies.” This was a classical concert which began with Handel and tapered down to Puccini. The orchestral pieces were all right; and they had one good woman pianist.