RAMON FIERRO MAGSAYSAY

Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957) was the third Philippine president. Credited with restoring
peace, law, and order during the Philippine crisis of the 1950s and the Hu!alahap re!ellion,
he was the first Philippine president fro" the landless lower "iddle class, the petit !ourgeois
stratu" of societ#.
$a"on %agsa#sa# was !orn in &!a, 'a"!ales, on (ug. )1, 1907, to *+e,uiel %agsa#sa#, a
!lacs"ith, and Perfecta del -ierro, a schoolteacher. He entered the .ni/ersit# of the
Philippines in 1907. He wored as a chauffeur to support hi"self as he studied engineering1
later, he transferred to the &nstitute of Co""erce at 2os3 $i4al College (1905-19)0), where
he recei/ed a !accalaureate in co""erce. He then wored as auto"o!ile "echanic and shop
superintendent. 6hen 6orld 6ar && !roe out, he 7oined the "otor pool of the )1st &nfantr#
8i/ision of the Philippine ar"#.
6hen 9ataan surrendered in 19:0, %agsa#sa# escaped to the hills, organi4ed the 6estern
;u4on <uerrilla -orces, and was co""issioned captain on (pril 5, 19:0. -or three #ears
Capt. %agsa#sa# operated under Col. %errill=s fa"ed guerrilla outfit and saw action at
>awang, >an %arcelino, 'a"!ales. %agsa#sa# was a"ong those instru"ental in clearing the
'a"!ales coast of the 2apanese prior to the landing of ("erican li!eration forces on 2an. 09,
19:5.
(fter the war %agsa#sa# was appointed !# the .. >. (r"# as "ilitar# go/ernor of 'a"!ales
on -e!. :, 19:5. ?n -e!. 5, 19:@, %a7. %agsa#sa# was discharged fro" the ar"#. He was
elected representati/e of 'a"!ales on (pril 0), 19:@, and re-elected in Ao/e"!er 19:9 under
the !anner of the ;i!eral part#.
Government Service
&n Congress, %agsa#sa# ser/ed as chair"an of the House Co""ittee on Aational 8efense
and !elonged to nu"erous other co""ittees. &n (pril 19:5 President %anuel $o+as
appointed %agsa#sa# to head a /eterans= "ission to 6ashington which lo!!ied for the
passage of the $ogers !ill. &n 1950 %agsa#sa# attaced the ;i!eral part#-do"inated
ad"inistration for corruption and called for refor"s of the deplora!le social conditions which
had produced the Hu!alahap re!ellion (the re!els were peasants fighting for de"ocratic
rights, e,ualit#, and 7ustice). Time (Ao/. 0@, 1951) reported that Bwhen politicians ept hi"
fro" !u#ingCuonset huts he needed as schoolhouses for 'a"!ales, he gathered so"e of his
warti"e guerillas, raided a surplus du"p, and "ade off with 1:0 huts. ;ater he paid for the"--
50 centa/os (05 cents) apiece, the price he figured the profiteer who owned the" had paid in
the first place.B Pro"pted !# his ("erican ad/isers, President *lpidio Cuirino appointed
%agsa#sa# secretar# of national defense on >ept. 1, 1950.
-ro" 1950 to 195) %agsa#sa# re/itali4ed the ar"# with /ast ("erican aid1 the ar"# had
!een de"orali4ed, politics-ridden, and /irtuall# defeated !# the "ass re/olution under wa#.
6ithin 5) da#s %agsa#sa# retired three generals, discharged and de"oted "an# erring and
inefficient officers, and ga/e the 15,000 enlisted "en !etter food, ,uarters, and pa#. He also
reorgani4ed the /icious Philippine Consta!ular# and created the >cout $anger 9attalions,
who" he co""anded to Bill Hus.B %agsa#sa# sent ci/ilian officers to the !arrios to
propagandi4e in support of the go/ern"ent. He gathered D500,000 fro" the oligarchic ruling
class--the !ig landlords, co"pradors, and !ureaucrat-capitalists--to pa# as reward for an#
infor"ation leading to the capture of the Hu leaders. Ehis polic# led to the arrest and
con/iction of 09 top leaders of the People=s ;i!eration (r"# and @ "e"!ers of the Polit!uro of
the Co""unist part# of the Philippines. ;a!or leaders, professors, diplo"ats, and "an# other
innocent citi4ens were arrested and depri/ed of their right to due process of law under a
repressi/e "artial law.
(s head of the 8efense 8epart"ent, %agsa#sa# encouraged Hu surrenders !# offering
"edical treat"ent, parole, and ho"esteads in the %indanao 7ungle. Ehe *cono"ic
8e/elop"ent Corps, an agenc# of the go/ern"ent, then !uilt far"houses, schools, hospitals,
and other facilities in %indanao under %agsa#sa#=s initiati/e. He also tried to reha!ilitate the
Hus !# offering /ocational training and loans to aid in esta!lishing s"all !usinesses. -ro" a
later perspecti/e, these "easures (including anti-Co""unist indoctrination) had practicall# no
result1 the reesta!lished Co""unist part# (%ar+ist-;eninist) reoccupied and li!erated large
areas of central ;u4on and rapidl# gained ground in other parts of the countr#.
&n Ao/e"!er 1951 %agsa#sa# sought to eep the elections clean !# e"plo#ing his :0,000-
"an ar"# and 5,500 reser/es to police the land. Ehe opposition Aacionalista part# won a
decisi/e /ictor# against the ruling ;i!erals. &n the su""er of 1950 %agsa#sa# was also
responsi!le for the "ilitar# solution to the protesting %osle"s, who had !een /icti"s of
Christian chau/inis", land-gra!!ers, and go/ern"ent "alfeasance. %agsa#sa# also sent
forces to fight under the .nited Aations co""and in Forea.
Accession to the Presidency
-or his reputation of energ# and honest#, %agsa#sa# was idoli4ed !# the electorate, which
/oted hi" to succeed Cuirino. %agsa#sa# had earlier resigned fro" the ;i!eral part# and was
su!se,uentl# chosen candidate for president !# the Aacionalista part#. ?n Ao/. 10, 195),
%agsa#sa# won !# a landslide /ictor#.
8uring %agsa#sa#=s ter" the Hu leader Earuc surrendered. &n 195: %agsa#sa#=s
go/ern"ent renegotiated the ini,uitous 9ell Erade (ct of 19:@ into the ;aurel-;angle#
(gree"ent, which "aintained the econo"ic su!ser/ience of the nation to .nited >tates
"onopolies. Ehe peso currenc#, controlled !# the .nited >tates dollar, declined in /alue.
%agsa#sa# also signed the first (gricultural Co""odities (gree"ent with the .nited >tates in
1957, thus perpetuating the colonial pattern of the nation=s econo"#, and was also
responsi!le for the passage of the (nti-su!/ersion ;aw, which curtailed the citi4ens=
de"ocratic rights of asse"!l#, free speech, and !elief.
&n line with his position as ("erica=s Bstaunch friend in (sia,B %agsa#sa# was the
chief sponsor in for"ing the >outheast (sia Ereat# ?rgani4ation (>*(E?). He was illed in a
plane crash on %arch 17, 1957.