LIFE OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT RAMON MAGSAYSAY

Ramón del Fierro Magsaysay (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was a Filipino statesman who served
as the seventh President of the Philippines, from December 30, 1953 until his death in an aircraft
disaster. An automobile mechanic by profession, Magsaysay was appointed military governor of
Zambales after his outstanding service as a guerilla leader during the Pacific War. He then served two
terms as Liberal Party congressman for Zambales before being appointed as Secretary of National
Defense by President Elpidio Quirino. He was elected president under the banner of the Nationalist
Party.

He was the first Philippine president born during the 20th century and the first to be born after the
Spanish colonial era.

Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay, of mixed Tagalog and Ilocano descent, was born in Iba, Zambales on
August 31, 1907 to Exequiel Magsaysay y de los Santos (April 18, 1874 in San Marcelino, Zambales –
January 24, 1969 in Manila), a blacksmith, and Perfecta del Fierro y Quimson (April 18, 1886 in
Castillejos, Zambales – May 5, 1981 in Manila), a schoolteacher.

School life

He spent his grade school life somewhere in Castillejos and his high school life at Pampanga Academy in
San Narciso, Zambales. After college, Magsaysay entered the University of the Philippines in 1927,
where he enrolled in a pre-medical course. He worked as a chauffeur to support himself as he studied
engineering; and later, he transferred to the Institute of Commerce at José Rizal College now Jose Rizal
University (1928–1932), where he received a baccalaureate in commerce. He then worked as an
automobile mechanic in a bus company (Florida) and shop superintendent.

Career during World War II

At the outbreak of World War II, he joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the Philippine
Army. When Bataan surrendered in 1942, Magsaysay escaped to the hills, narrowly evading Japanese
arrest on at least four occasions. There he organized the Western Luzon Guerrilla Forces and was
commissioned captain on April 5, 1942. For three years, Magsaysay operated under Col. Merrill's famed
guerrilla outfit & saw action at Sawang, San Marcelino, Zambales, first as a supply officer codenamed
Chow and later as commander of a 10,000 strong force. 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, 1944.

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.

The Presidency

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.

Contribution of President Ramon Magsaysay in the Philippines?

The biggest contribution of President Ramon Magsaysay in the Philippines was the foundation of the
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization in 1954. He contributed to making Malacañang a "house of the
people."

Ramon Magsaysay was the seventh President of the Philippines. He implemented a program of Agrarian
reform. He also launched a new trade agreement and reparation agreement.

Economic policies or Contribution of Ramon Magsaysay?

Low taxes for the middle class who form a large percentage of the tax payers was one of the economic
policies of the Ramon Magsaysay. This led to the expansion of the economy.