philipinne republic : ramon magsaysay

RAMON DEL FIERRO MAGSAYSAY

by: Chirene Cuysona & Mary Lou Tortuga

SYNOPSIS

Born in the Philippines on August 31, 1907, Ramon Magsaysay was the seventh president of the
Philippines (1953–57), best known for successfully defeating the communist-led Hukbalahap (Huk)
movement in his country and his popular appeal. He died in his country in 1957.

EARLY LIFE

Ramon Magsaysay was born Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay in Iba, a city in the Philippines, on August
31, 1907. After attending the University of the Philippines, Magsaysay transferred to the Institute of
Commerce at José Rizal College (1928-1932), where he received a bachelor's degree in commerce.

At the start of World War II, Magsaysay joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the
Philippine army. He was promoted to captain, and was involved in clearing the Zambales coast of the
Japanese before to the landing of American forces there.

LEADING MILITARY REFORM

Magsaysay was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives in 1946, and was later re-elected to a
second term. During both terms, he was chairman of the House National Defense Committee.

In 1950, Philippines President Elpidio Quirino appointed Magsaysay secretary of defense to deal with
the threat of the Huks, whose leader, Luis Taruc, had called for the overthrow of the government.
Magsaysay reformed the army, dismissing many officers and emphasizing mobility and adaptability in
combat operations against the Huk guerrillas—tactics that he had learned in his own guerrilla efforts
against the Japanese in World War II.

From then until 1953, Magsaysay carried out one of the most effective anti-guerrilla campaigns in
modern history; by 1953, the Huks were no longer a serious threat. Unfortunately, Magsaysay's
sweeping measures had made many enemies for him within the government, and he resigned on
February 28, 1953, later charging the Quirino Administration with corruption and incompetence.

DEATH

Ramon Magsaysay was killed in a plane crash on March 16, 1957, during the last year of his term as
President. The plane carrying him and 24 other people including the crew, crashed on Mt. Manunggal on
its way to Manila. Over 2 million people came to say the “Last Goodbye” to their beloved President.
 THE PRESIDENCY
by: Jessa Mae Delig & Kimberly Amora

Although Magsaysay was a liberal, the Nacionalista Party backed him for the presidency against Quirino
in the 1953 elections, and Magsaysay prevailed. He promised reform in nearly every segment of Filipino
life, but he was often thwarted by a congress that only represented the interests of the wealthy.

Magsaysay did manage to enact agrarian reform, giving some 90,000 acres to 4,500 indigent families for
settlement/farming purposes. He also set up a process to hear and address citizen grievances, and
maintained a reputation for incorruptibility throughout his presidency, all of which went a long way
toward ensuring his popularity.

Sadly, Ramon Magsaysay's term came to an abrupt end on March 17, 1957, when his presidential plane
crashed, killing Magsaysay and 24 other passengers. An estimated 5 million people attended
Magsaysay's burial on March 31, 1957, and afterward, he was referred to in the Philippines as the "Idol
of the Masses."

In his honor, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered "Asia's Nobel Prize," was established in 1957.
In the spirit of Ramon Magsaysay's leadership, the award recognizes integrity and courage among
individuals and organizations in Asia.

AWARDS

 Ramon Magsaysay was awarded the Golden Heart Presidential Award, Philippines’s National Honor
after his death.
 He also received the Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted, Order of the White Elephant from
Thailand in 1955.
 Cambodia honored him with the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia in 1956.
 To honor his integrity, an annual award named The Ramon Magsaysay Award is given to Asian
individuals for excellence in their respective fields.

6 REASONS WHY RAMON MAGSAYSAY WAS A GREAT PRESIDENT

by: Kael Marie Penales & Jonnalyn Lecomis

 HIS BRILLIANT COUNTERINSURGENCY EFFORTS WERE UNPRECEDENTED.

In the early 1950’s, the insurgency launched by a group of peasant farmers called Hukbalahap (Hukbo
ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon or People’s Anti-Japanese Army) was at its peak. Both the previous and
incumbent presidents struggled to stop the rebellion: Roxas simply banned the organization in 1948
while his successor, Quirino, was stained with corruption and cronyism, infuriating the Huks even more.
Desperate to stop the Hukbalahap threats from worsening, Quirino made a strategic move: He appointed
Ramon Magsaysay–a celebrated WWII guerrilla leader–as the new Secretary of National Defense. As a
new appointee, Magsaysay did what his predecessor failed to do: He identified the root cause of the
problem and started from there.

With the help of Lieutenant Colonel Edward G. Lansdale, an Air Force intelligence officer who served
as his personal advisor, Magsaysay toured the whole country and saw firsthand the driving force behind
the insurgency. At that point, he realized that most of the Huks were not actually Communists; they
were simple peasants who thought that rebellion was the only answer to their sufferings.

In the words of historian Teodoro Agoncillo, the Hukbalahap was the “culmination of centuries of
peasant degradation, loss of self-respect, and abject poverty.”

Of course, in order for Magsaysay to execute his plans of ending the rebellion, he needed the help of the
Armed Forces. But here’s the catch: The country’s military arm was also suffering from several issues,
most serious of which were poor leadership, corruption and patronage system.

In other words, ending the insurgency wouldn’t be possible without first addressing the serious problems
that had plagued the Armed Forces. It was a challenging task, but this is when Ramon Magsaysay
showcased his exemplary leadership skills and political prowess.

 HE GAVE LAND TO THE LANDLESS

He realized that the Philippine government shouldn’t be a government of the elites, but an entity fully
dedicated to the welfare of all its people–especially the peasant farmers long considered to be the
“backbone of the nation.”

Magsaysay believed that insurgency would continue to exist as long as the government stays deaf to the
calls of the rural folk. “To be really secure,” he once said, “a country must assure for its citizens the
social and economic conditions that would enable them to live in decency, free from ignorance, disease,
and want.”

Magsaysay became the voice of the voiceless, and his impressive rural development programs only
proved that he’s sincere in uplifting the lives of the oppressed.

 HE CREATED A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE

For the Filipino people, however, Magsaysay’s most memorable achievement was his effort to earn back
people’s trust in the government. Known as the “The Champion of the Common Man,” Magsaysay
would listen to the problems of the common “tao” for at least two to three times a week. In fact, he
established the Presidential Complaints and Action Committee (PCAC) to make sure that the complaints
of the masses were taken care of.

For the first time in many years, Filipinos gained the courage to condemn corrupt public officials
without fear of repression. PCAC was so successful that in 1954 alone, they already received an
overwhelming 59, 144 complaints.
 HE IS A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR THE YOUTH

Magsaysay’s upbringing holds the answer on why he turned out to be a man of principle. Born in Iba,
Zambales to a blacksmith and a schoolteacher, the young Ramon Magsaysay was trained to respect the
elders and develop the virtues of humility, honesty, frugality, and love for hard work.

It is said that when he was only six years old, Magsaysay’s father, Exequiel, lost his job in a public
school after refusing to pass the school superintendent’s son in his carpentry class. For this reason, the
Magsaysays were forced to move to Castillejas, where Exequiel built a small blacksmith shop to support
his family.

Although a minor hurdle, this experience instilled the importance of honesty and clean living to the
young Monching.

 HE REFUSED SPECIAL TREATMENT

Unlike other politicians, Magsaysay refused to name towns, bridges, avenues, and plazas after him. He
lived in a simple home, wore simple clothes (usually an “aloha” shirt and slacks), drove his own car, and
spoke a language easily understood by the masses. Indeed, the late President Ramon Magsaysay was the
epitome of simplicity.

He wanted to set an example, someone that other public officials would look up to. When he was still a
Defense Secretary, for example, he refused special treatment and lived within his means–a government
salary of about $500 a month.

Historian Xiao Chua also shared two anecdotes about the great president. It is said that while Magsaysay
was on his way to the Malacañang to meet then President Elpidio Quirino, their car suddenly stopped.
Because his driver, Kosme, was clueless on how to fix it, Magsaysay–who once worked as a mechanic
at the Try Transportation Bus Company in Manila–didn’t think twice in fixing it himself, even while
wearing a barong tagalog.

The same driver also once violated traffic rules. When the policeman saw the plate number and the
passenger within the car, he allegedly said “My goodness! Pardon me Mr. President. You can now
proceed.”

However, Magsaysay refused to accept the “privilege” and said this instead: “Oh no, sargeant. You said
awhile ago that the law is the law. And in that principle I do believe. While I am the president, the law
applies to everyone, there is equality. Please give us the necessary ticket.”

 HE BANNED NEPOTISM AND CORRUPTION

While the rest of Philippine politics were being plagued with nepotism and “compadre system,”
Magsaysay was working hard to break the stereotype. Such was his effort to combat graft and corruption
that public officials–from top to bottom–started to fear his presence. “Every time I sit here and look at
my stamp drawer,” recalled a local postmaster, “I start to think, well, I don’t have much money and my
family needs food, maybe I ought to swipe some. Then I start thinking that that damn Magsaysay might
suddenly show up … just as my hand is going into the petty cash drawer, and he’d throw me in jail.”