Alcaraz, Jan Carlos G.

Gutierrez, Raiene Mejos, Jeoven Dave

In his brief three-year presidency, Ramon Magsaysay gained the respect and admiration of the
The Museo ni Ramon people. President Magsaysay habitually visited provinces and towns to reach out and listen to the
Magsaysay in grievances of the common people. His personal charisma, honesty, and simplicity endeared Ramon
Castillejos, Zambales to the masses.
Born on 31 August 1907 in Iba, Zambales, Ramon Magsaysay came from a family of modest
means. His family moved to Castillejos, Zambales in 1914, where his father, Exequiel, established a
carpentry shop and courier service. Magsaysay worked as a mechanic for the TRY-TRAN Bus and
earned a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce at the Jose Rizal Memorial College in 1933. During World
War II, Magsaysay became a guerilla leader against the Japanese. After the war, he was elected as
Representative of Zambales in 1946 and in 1949. As congressman, he sponsored bills that provided
pensions for war veterans and secured the construction of the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Quezon
City.
In 1950, Magsaysay became the Secretary of National Defense and led a vigorous campaign against
the Huk insurgency. Through Sec. Magsaysay’s efforts, politburo members of the Partido Komunista
ng Pilipinas were arrested in Manila, which led to the weakening of the Huk movement.
On 30 December 1953, Magsaysay took his oath as the seventh President of the Philippines. He was
the first President to wear the Barong Tagalog at his inauguration and made it the official male attire
during official and social functions. As President, Magsaysay pushed for agrarian reform,
constructed health centers for rural areas, and helped found the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
in Manila on 8 September 1954. On 17 March 1957, President Ramon Magsaysay died in a tragic
plane crash on Mt. Manunggal in Cebu. He continues to be memorialized today through the Ramon
Magsaysay Award.
The Museo ni Ramon Magsaysay in Castillejos, Zambales keeps the legacy of the beloved President
alive. The museum has three galleries:

 GALLERY 1: The Life of Magsaysay

 GALLERY 2: Magsaysay’s Family
 GALLERY 3: Death and Legacy