Ramon Magsaysay

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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 Hukbalahap rebellion, he was the first Philippine president from the landless lower middle class, the petit bourgeois stratum of society.

Ramon Magsaysay was born in Iba, Zambales, on Aug. 31, 1907, to Exequiel Magsaysay, a blacksmith, and Perfecta del Fierro, a schoolteacher. He entered the University of the Philippines in 1927. He worked as a chauffeur to support himself as he studied engineering; later, he transferred to the Institute of Commerce at José Rizal College (1928-1932), where he received a baccalaureate in commerce. He then worked as automobile mechanic and shop superintendent. When World War II broke out, he joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the Philippine army.

When Bataan surrendered in 1942, Magsaysay escaped to the hills, organized the Western Luzon Guerrilla Forces, and was commissioned captain on April 5, 1942. For 3 years Capt. Magsaysay operated under Col. Merrill's famed guerrilla outfit and saw action at Sawang, San Marcelino, Zambales. Magsaysay was among those instrumental in clearing the Zambales coast of the Japanese prior to the landing of American liberation forces on Jan. 29, 1945.

After the war Magsaysay was appointed by the U. S. Army as military governor of Zambales on Feb. 4, 1945. On Feb. 8, 1946, Maj. Magsaysay was discharged from the army. He was elected representative of Zambales on April 23, 1946, and reelected in November 1949 under the banner of the Liberal party.

Government Service

In Congress, Magsaysay served as chairman of the House Committee on National Defense and belonged to numerous other committees. In April 1948 President Manuel Roxas appointed Magsaysay to head a veterans' mission to Washington which lobbied for the passage of the Rogers bill. In 1950 Magsaysay attacked the Liberal party-dominated administration for corruption and called for reforms of the deplorable social conditions which had produced the Hukbalahap rebellion (the rebels were peasants fighting for democratic rights, equality, and justice). Time (Nov. 26, 1951) reported that "when politicians kept him from buying Quonset huts he needed as schoolhouses for Zambales, he gathered some of his wartime guerillas, raided a surplus dump, and made off with 140 huts. Later he paid for them - 50 centavos (25 cents) apiece, the price he figured the profiteer who owned them had paid in the first place." Prompted by his American advisers, President Elpidio Quirino appointed Magsaysay secretary of national defense on Sept. 1, 1950.

From 1950 to 1953 Magsaysay revitalized the army with vast American aid; the army had been demoralized, politics-ridden, and virtually defeated by the mass revolution under way. Within 83 days Magsaysay retired three generals, discharged and demoted many erring and inefficient officers, and gave the 18,000 enlisted men better food, quarters, and pay. He also reorganized the vicious Philippine Constabulary and created the Scout Ranger Battalions, whom he commanded to "kill Huks." Magsaysay sent civilian officers to the barrios to propagandize in support of the government. He gathered $500,000 from the oligarchic ruling class - the big landlords, compradors, and bureaucrat-capitalists - to pay as reward for any information leading to the capture of the Huk leaders. This policy led to the arrest and conviction of 29 top leaders of the People's Liberation Army and 6 members of the Politburo of the Communist party of the Philippines. Labor leaders, professors, diplomats, and many other innocent citizens were arrested and deprived of their right to due process of law under a repressive martial law.

As head of the Defense Department, Magsaysay encouraged Huk surrenders by offering medical treatment, parole, and homesteads in the Mindanao jungle. The Economic Development Corps, an agency of the government, then built farmhouses, schools, hospitals, and other facilities in Mindanao under Magsaysay's initiative. He also tried to rehabilitate the Huks by offering vocational training and loans to aid in establishing small businesses. From a later perspective, these measures (including anti-Communist indoctrination) had practically no result; the reestablished Communist party (Marxist-Leninist) reoccupied and liberated large areas of central Luzon and rapidly gained ground in other parts of the country.

In November 1951 Magsaysay sought to keep the elections clean by employing his 40,000-man army and 5,500 reserves to police the land. The opposition Nacionalista party won a decisive victory against the ruling Liberals. In the summer of 1952 Magsaysay was also responsible for the military solution to the protesting Moslems, who had been victims of Christian chauvinism, land-grabbers, and government malfeasance. Magsaysay also sent forces to fight under the United Nations command in Korea.

Accession to the Presidency

For his reputation of energy and honesty, Magsaysay was idolized by the electorate, which voted him to succeed Quirino. Magsaysay had earlier resigned from the Liberal party and was subsequently chosen candidate for president by the Nacionalista party. On Nov. 10, 1953, Magsaysay won by a landslide victory.

During Magsaysay's term the Huk leader Taruc surrendered. In 1954 Magsaysay's government renegotiated the iniquitous Bell Trade Act of 1946 into the Laurel-Langley Agreement, which maintained the economic subservience of the nation to United States monopolies. The peso currency, controlled by the United States dollar, declined in value. Magsaysay also signed the first Agricultural Commodities Agreement with the United States in 1957, thus perpetuating the colonial pattern of the nation's economy, and was also responsible for the passage of the Anti-subversion Law, which curtailed the citizens' democratic rights of assembly, free speech, and belief.

In line with his position as America's "staunch friend in Asia," Magsaysay was the chief sponsor in forming the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). He was killed in a plane crash on March 17, 1957.

Further Reading

Carlos P. Romulo and Marvin M. Gray, The Magsaysay Story (1956), is a full-length biography. A more specialized study is Frances Lucille Starner, Magsaysay and the Philippine Peasantry: The Agrarian Impact on Philippine Politics, 1953-1956 (1961). Reliable information on Magsaysay is in Eufronio Melo Alip, ed., The Philippine Presidents from Aguinaldo to Garcia (1958); Teodoro A. Agoncillo and Oscar M. Alfonso, History of the Filipino People (1960; rev. ed. 1967); Jésus V. Merritt, Our Presidents: Profiles in History (1962); Hernando J. Abaya, The Untold Philippine Story (1967); and Pedro A. Gagelonia, Presidents All (1967).

Additional Sources

Barranco, Vicente F., The man who lived a hundred years, 1983 (Manila: UST Press).

Ramon Magsaysay
7th President of the Philippines
In office December 30, 1953 – March 17, 1957
Vice President	Carlos P. García
Preceded by	Elpidio Quirino
Succeeded by	Carlos P. García
Born	August 31, 1907(1907-08-31) Iba, Zambales
Died	March 17, 1957 (aged 49) Mt. Manunggal, Balamban, Cebu
Political party	Nacionalista Party
Spouse(s)	Luz Banzon
Occupation	Engineer
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

Magsaysay redirects here, for other uses see Magsaysay (disambiguation).

Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay (August 31, 1907 - March 17, 1957) was the third President of the Third Republic of the Philippines from December 30, 1953 until his death in a plane crash in 1957. He was elected President under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Personal life 3 Congressman 4 Secretary of National Defense 5 Presidency 5.1 Agrarian Reform 5.2 Death 6 Popular references 7 See also 8 External links 9 References

Early life

Ramon Magsaysay was born in Iba, Zambales on August 31, 1907 to Exequiel Magsaysay, a blacksmith, and Perfecta del Fierro, a schoolteacher. He entered the University of the Philippines in 1927. He worked as a chauffeur to support himself as he studied engineering; later, he transferred to the Institute of Commerce at Jose Rizal College (1928-1932), where he received a baccalaureate in commerce. He then worked as automobile mechanic and shop superintendent. When World War II broke out, he joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the Philippine army. When Bataan surrendered in 1942, Magsaysay escaped to the hills, organized the Western Luzon Guerrilla Forces, and was commissioned captain on April 5, 1942. For three years Capt. Magsaysay operated under Col. Merrill's famed guerrilla outfit and saw action at Sawang, San Marcelino, Zambales. Magsaysay was among those instrumental in clearing the Zambales coast of the Japanese prior to the landing of American forces together with the Philippine Commonwealth troops on January 29, 1945.

Personal life

He was married to Luz Banzon-Magsaysay, with three children: Teresita Banzon-Magsaysay (b. 1934), Milagros "Mila" Banzon-Magsaysay (b. 1936) and Ramon "Jun" Banzon-Magsaysay, Jr. (b. 1938).^{[citation needed]}

Congressman

On April 23, 1946, Magsaysay was elected as an Independent to the Philippine House of Representatives. In 1948, President Roxas chose Magsaysay to go to Washington as Chairman of the Committee on Guerrilla Affairs, to help to secure passage of the Rogers Bill, giving considerable benefits to Philippine veterans. In the so-called "dirty election" of 1949, he was re-elected to a second term in the House of Representatives. During both terms he was Chairman of the House National Defense Committee.

Secretary of National Defense

In early August 1950 he offered President Quirino a plan to fight the Communist guerillas, using his own experiences in guerrilla warfare during World War II. After some hesitation, Quirino realized that there was no alternative and appointed Magsaysay Secretary of National Defence on August 31, 1950. He intensified the campaign against the Hukbalahap guerillas. This success was due in part to the unconventional methods he employed and developed alongside an American adviser, General Edward Lansdale. The counterinsurgency the two deployed utilized soldiers distributing relief goods and other forms of aid to outlying, provincial communities. Where before Magsaysay, the rural folk looked on the Philippine Army if not in distrust, at least with general apathy, during his term as Defense Secretary Filipinos began to respect and admire their soldiers.

In June 1952 Magsaysay made a goodwill tour to the United States and Mexico. He visited New York, Washington, D.C. (with a medical check-up at Walter Reed Hospital) and Mexico City where he spoke at the Annual Convention of Lions International.

By 1953 President Quirino thought the threat of the Huks was under control and Secretary Magsaysay was becoming too powerful. Magsaysay met with interference and obstruction from the President and his advisers, in fear they might be unseated at the next presidential election. Although Magsaysay had at that time no intention to run, he was urged from many sides and finally was convinced that the only way to continue his fight against communism, and for a government for the people, was to be elected President, ousting the corrupt administration that, in his opinion, had caused the rise of the communist guerrillas by bad administration. He resigned his post as defense secretary on February 28, 1953, and became the presidential candidate of the Nacionalista Party, disputing the nomination with senator Camilo Osías at the Nacionalista national convention.

Presidency

President and Mrs. Magsaysay with Eleanor Roosevelt at the Malacañang Palace.

In the Election of 1953, Magsaysay was decisively elected president over the incumbent Elpidio Quirino. He was sworn into office wearing the Barong Tagalog, a first by a Philippine president.

As president, he was a close friend and supporter of the United States and a vocal spokesman against communism during the Cold War. He led the foundation of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization also known as the Manila Pact of 1954, that aimed to defeat communist-Marxist movements in South East Asia, South Asia and the Southwestern Pacific. During his term, he made Malacañáng Palace literally a "house of the people", opening its gates to the public.

One example of his integrity followed a demonstration flight aboard a new plane belonging to the Philippines Air Force (PAF). President Magsaysay asked what the operating costs per hour were for that type of aircraft, then wrote a personal check to the PAF, covering the cost of his flight.

Agrarian Reform

President Magsaysay abolished the Land Settlement Development Corporation (LASEDECO) and established the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) to resettle dissidents and landless farmers. It was particularly aimed at rebel returnees providing home lots and farmlands in Palawan and Mindanao^[1].

Death

Main article: 1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash

Gravesite of President Magsaysay at the Manila North Cemetery.

On March 16, 1957 Magsaysay left Manila for Cebu City where he spoke at three educational institutions. That same night, at about 1 a.m., he boarded the presidential plane "Mt. Pinatubo", a C-47, heading back to Manila. In the early morning hours of March 17, his plane was reported missing. It was late in the afternoon that day that newspapers reported that the airplane had crashed on Mt. Manunggal in Cebu and that 25 of the 26 passengers and crew aboard were killed. Only newspaperman Néstor Mata survived. Vice President Carlos P. García, who was on an official visit to Australia at the time, assumed the presidency to serve out the last eight months of Magsaysay's term.

An estimated 2 million people attended Magsaysay's burial on March 22, 1957.^[2][3][4]

Popular references

• The First Team, a 1971 thriller by author John Ball, hinges on the effort to recapture the USS Ramon Magsaysay, an American ballistic missile submarine. Freeing the submarine from control of the Soviet Union will force the Soviets to surrender their occupation of the United States.
• In Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers, the smallest starships are named after footsoldiers. Upon reading some of their names, the protagonist remarks "There ought to be one named Magsaysay."

See also

• President of the Philippines
• Ramon Magsaysay Award
• Ramon Magsaysay, Jr.
• President Ramon Magsaysay School of Public Governance

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Ramon Magsaysay

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ramon Magsaysay

• The Philippine Presidency Project

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984). Philippine History and Government. National Bookstore Printing Press. 
3. ^ Townsend, William Cameron (1952). Biography of President Lázaro Cárdenas.        See the SIL International Website at:   Establishing the Work in Mexico.
4. ^ Carlos P. Romulo and Marvin M. Gray: The Magsaysay Story (The John Day Company, 1956, updated - with an additional chapter on Magsaysay's death - re-edition by Pocket Books, Special Student Edition, SP-18, December 1957)

Assembly seats
Preceded by Valentin Afable	Representative, Zambales 1946 - 1953	Succeeded by Enrique Corpus
Political offices
Preceded by Ruperto Kangleon	Philippine Secretary of National Defense 1950 - 1953	Succeeded by Oscar T. Castelo
Preceded by Elpidio Quirino	President of the Philippines 1953 - 1957	Succeeded by Carlos P. García

v • d • e Presidents of the Philippines Emilio Aguinaldo · Manuel L. Quezon · José P. Laurel · Sergio Osmeña · Manuel Roxas · Elpidio Quirino · Ramon Magsaysay · Carlos P. Garcia · Diosdado Macapagal · Ferdinand E. Marcos · Corazon C. Aquino · Fidel V. Ramos · Joseph Ejercito Estrada · Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

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