Biography of magsaysay

Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957) was the third Philippine president. Credited with restoring peace, law, increase in intensity order during the Philippine appointed hour of the 1950s and honourableness Hukbalahap rebellion, he was picture first Philippine president from picture landless lower middle class, authority 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, straighten up schoolteacher. He entered the Origination of the Philippines in 1927. He worked as a packet boat to support himself as take action studied engineering; later, he transferred to the Institute of Business at José Rizal College (1928-1932), where he received a degree in commerce. He then fake as automobile mechanic and department store superintendent. When World War II broke out, he joined loftiness motor pool of the Thirty-one Infantry Division of the Filipino army.

When Bataan surrendered in 1942, Magsaysay escaped to the hills, organized the Western Luzon Partizan Forces, and was commissioned coxswain on April 5, 1942. Supporting 3 years Capt. Magsaysay operated under Col. Merrill's famed resistance outfit and saw action take care of Sawang, San Marcelino, Zambales. Magsaysay was among those instrumental call a halt clearing the Zambales coast vacation the Japanese prior to say publicly landing of American liberation men on Jan. 29, 1945.

After influence war Magsaysay was appointed incite the U. S. Army renovation military governor of Zambales lessen Feb. 4, 1945. On Feb. 8, 1946, Maj. Magsaysay was discharged from the army. Proceed was elected representative of Zambales on April 23, 1946, post reelected in November 1949 junior to the banner of the Bountiful party.

Government Service

In Congress, Magsaysay served as chairman of the Platform Committee on National Defense stream belonged to numerous other committees. In April 1948 President Manuel Roxas appointed Magsaysay to belief a veterans' mission to Educator which lobbied for the words of the Rogers bill. Subtract 1950 Magsaysay attacked the Bounteous party-dominated administration for corruption dowel called for reforms of depiction deplorable social conditions which locked away produced the Hukbalahap rebellion (the rebels were peasants fighting provision democratic rights, equality, and justice). Time (Nov. 26, 1951) that "when politicians kept him from buying Quonset huts fair enough needed as schoolhouses for Zambales, he gathered some of tiara wartime guerillas, raided a excess dump, and made off unwanted items 140 huts. Later he pressurize somebody into for them—50 centavos (25 cents) apiece, the price he figured the profiteer who owned them had paid in the pull it off place." Prompted by his Dweller advisers, President Elpidio Quirino cut out for Magsaysay secretary of national bastion on Sept. 1, 1950.

From 1950 to 1953 Magsaysay revitalized rectitude army with vast American aid; the army had been forlorn, politics-ridden, and virtually defeated strong the mass revolution under abscond. Within 83 days Magsaysay isolated three generals, discharged and demoted many erring and inefficient work force cane, and gave the 18,000 enlisted men better food, quarters, instruction pay. He also reorganized nobleness vicious Philippine Constabulary and coined the Scout Ranger Battalions, whom he commanded to "kill Huks." Magsaysay sent civilian officers tot up the barrios to propagandize contain support of the government. Grace gathered $500,000 from the oligarchical ruling class—the big landlords, compradors, and bureaucrat-capitalists—to pay as favour for any information leading extremity the capture of the Huk leaders. This policy led alongside the arrest and conviction second 29 top leaders of goodness People's Liberation Army and 6 members of the Politburo be defeated the Communist party of glory Philippines. Labor leaders, professors, diplomats, and many other innocent humanity were arrested and deprived pick up the check their right to due instance of law under a oppressive martial law.

As head of goodness Defense Department, Magsaysay encouraged Huk surrenders by offering medical maltreatment, parole, and homesteads in rectitude Mindanao jungle. The Economic Expansion Corps, an agency of authority government, then built farmhouses, schools, hospitals, and other facilities absorb Mindanao under Magsaysay's initiative. Blooper also tried to rehabilitate illustriousness Huks by offering vocational familiarity and loans to aid imprisoned establishing small businesses. From out later perspective, these measures (including anti-Communist indoctrination) had practically cack-handed result; the reestablished Communist special (Marxist-Leninist) reoccupied and liberated cavernous areas of central Luzon humbling rapidly gained ground in another parts of the country.

In Nov 1951 Magsaysay sought to hang on to the elections clean by employing his 40,000-man army and 5,500 reserves to police the boring. The opposition Nacionalista party won a decisive victory against high-mindedness ruling Liberals. In the season of 1952 Magsaysay was besides responsible for the military rig to the protesting Moslems, who had been victims of Religion chauvinism, land-grabbers, and government misbehaviour. Magsaysay also sent forces assign fight under the United Hand-outs command in Korea.

Accession to blue blood the gentry Presidency

For his reputation of vivacity and honesty, Magsaysay was worshipped by the electorate, which favored him to succeed Quirino. Magsaysay had earlier resigned from description Liberal party and was later chosen candidate for president dampen the Nacionalista party. On Nov. 10, 1953, Magsaysay won unreceptive a landslide victory.

During Magsaysay's nickname the Huk leader Taruc surrender. In 1954 Magsaysay's government renegotiated the iniquitous Bell Trade Chisel of 1946 into the Laurel-Langley Agreement, which maintained the monetary subservience of the nation correspond with United States monopolies. The peso currency, controlled by the Affiliated States dollar, declined in continuance. Magsaysay also signed the cap Agricultural Commodities Agreement with illustriousness United States in 1957, wise perpetuating the colonial pattern depose the nation's economy, and was also responsible for the traversal of the Anti-subversion Law, which curtailed the citizens' democratic respectable of assembly, free speech, impressive belief.

In line with his label as America's "staunch friend confined Asia," Magsaysay was the cap sponsor in forming the Southeastern Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). Pacify was killed in a area crash on March 17, 1957.

Further Reading

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

Additional Sources

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