Who was Ramon Magsaysay ?

In foreign policy, Magsaysay remained a close friend and supporter of the United States and a vocal spokesman against communism during the Cold War.

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.

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 made the Philippines a member of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, which was established in Manila on Sept. 8, 1954.

While the rest of Philippine politics were being plagued with nepotism and “compadre system,” Magsaysay was working hard to break the stereotype. He wanted to set an example so he put the needs of the Filipino people above all–even at the expense of his own relatives.

Magsaysay also hated corruption, and he started to fight it as soon as he entered Philippine politics. On his first day as Defense Secretary, for example, he fired several high-ranking officials in the AFP–including the Chief of Staff and the Chief of the Constabulary–as part of his military reforms. When he became president, his administration was synonymous to honesty and clean governance.

Ramon Magsaysay became the seventh president of the Philippines in 1953, and is credited with restoring law and order during the Philippine crisis of the 1950s.

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.

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.

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.