RICE is P400 a sack and still going up. The Japanese Army and Navy had agreed to get their rice from Cagayan Valley, while the Filipinos would get theirs from Bulacan and Pangasinan. The loophole — it didn't seem important at the time — was the status of the Japanese Civilian Firms. The military now says they are not part of the agreement, so these firms, with their unlimited credit and need to feed gangs of laborers 600 grams of rice a day, are buying sacks of rice by the thousands. Right in front of me this morning, one told a Filipino agent to buy as many sacks as possible at up to P400 a sack, and the bodegas of this same firm are already jammed full of rice and sugar. Incidentally, a sack of rice no longer contains 23 gantas but 21 to 22 gantas, take it or leave it.

Where does that leave Biba? Under the terms of the Roxas plan, someone with a permit to bring 80 sacks in must sell 16 (20%) to Biba at P80 a sack. But why give away P5,000 if you can avoid it by bribing an inspector with a few hundred? At this rate, Biba will soon run out of rice, and prices will take off again.

Malacañan is ousting all people living in houses in front of it, including well-built houses of well-known families. A rumor that owners will only get "assessed value" sparked a storm of protest. "What Laurel wants to do is to gather his ministers around him in an easily defended cordon," said one. Another joked: "Laurel wants to build a runway near the palace for his Kalayaan plane."

There is much unrest in Manila. A man's home is no longer his castle. Namikawa has left the country and rumor says the Navy wants all of Manga Avenue because it's a quiet suburb with fine homes and a dead-end street. The Garriz (remember they were allowed to stay?) and Balfour-Feltman's two doors on our right have to vacate at the end of the month — they live on enemy property. More and more people are being ousted from Dewey Boulevard.

The "gratitude" mission to Japan is back after accomplishing nothing. Outside of Aquino, the rest were just excess baggage. Still, according to the Tribune: "Work of Mission Pleases President." They brought back gifts for Laurel from "high-ranking officials" of the Japanese Empire. De las Alas stayed behind to discuss economic matters, including a plan to print P500 notes. On his return, Alunan confessed to a friend: "I was shitting in my pants." Apparently, his confidence in Japanese planes and pilots is zero.

The Tribune reports the number of planes claimed in April as 716, including 242 "destroyed or set ablaze" and 43 "probables." Japanese losses totaled 175: 85 on the ground and 90 that "either dived into enemy objectives or have failed to return."

Two articles — "Rail violators will be punished" and "Stolen ride on locomotive proves fatal" — fail to mention the Bicol Express disaster.