The convent is shocked to learn that the City of San Tanco has decided to sell the city park land where they hold their "day camp" daycare for working mothers. They invite Mayor Salvador Calderon (Julio Medina) over for tea where he explains that it must be sold to cover $3,500 in back taxes owed to the city. He further explains that they could be able to keep their day camp with community program funds from the government if San Tanco had 4,000 residents. At last count they had 3,956 residents. The convent takes on the task of recruiting 44 new residents in the three weeks leading up to the sale of the land. "Operation Population" canvasses the local hospitals to track new births. As they near the target, Revered Mother Placido reminds them of the obituary page, bringing them down to 32 short. She advises their best hope is to find someone to buy the land for them. Carlos, however, is in no position to help after business falls off at the casino. Their next phase is to go into neighboring areas and convince people to move to San Tanco. Their station wagon displays a banner proclaiming, "Move to San Tanco! The Shangri-La of Puerto Rico". Sister Bertrille throws out pamphlets from the air. Not only is it unsuccessful but they find some people have moved from San Tanco. As their prospects grow dim the new prospective owner Pedro Ferone (Lew Palter) arrives, changing things in unexpected ways.
