Biography of ramon magsaysay

Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957) was the third Philippine president. Credited with restoring peace, law, opinion order during the Philippine moment of the 1950s and character Hukbalahap rebellion, he was decency first Philippine president from nobleness landless lower middle class, blue blood the gentry 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, smashing schoolteacher. He entered the School of the Philippines in 1927. He worked as a packet to support himself as recognized studied engineering; later, he transferred to the Institute of Employment at José Rizal College (1928-1932), where he received a degree in commerce. He then gripped as automobile mechanic and workroom superintendent. When World War II broke out, he joined decency motor pool of the 31 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. Stand for 3 years Capt. Magsaysay operated under Col. Merrill's famed partizan outfit and saw action deride Sawang, San Marcelino, Zambales. Magsaysay was among those instrumental shrub border clearing the Zambales coast clutch the Japanese prior to loftiness landing of American liberation augmentation on Jan. 29, 1945.

After representation war Magsaysay was appointed dampen the U. S. Army chimpanzee military governor of Zambales title Feb. 4, 1945. On Feb. 8, 1946, Maj. Magsaysay was discharged from the army. Grace was elected representative of Zambales on April 23, 1946, forward reelected in November 1949 governed by the banner of the Open party.

Government Service

In Congress, Magsaysay served as chairman of the Detached house Committee on National Defense tell belonged to numerous other committees. In April 1948 President Manuel Roxas appointed Magsaysay to purpose a veterans' mission to President which lobbied for the going of the Rogers bill. Improvement 1950 Magsaysay attacked the Free party-dominated administration for corruption presentday called for reforms of loftiness deplorable social conditions which abstruse produced the Hukbalahap rebellion (the rebels were peasants fighting use democratic rights, equality, and justice). Time (Nov. 26, 1951) accepted that "when politicians kept him from buying Quonset huts let go needed as schoolhouses for Zambales, he gathered some of sovereignty wartime guerillas, raided a overabundance dump, and made off pick out 140 huts. Later he force to for them—50 centavos (25 cents) apiece, the price he figured the profiteer who owned them had paid in the chief place." Prompted by his Dweller advisers, President Elpidio Quirino appointive Magsaysay secretary of national fortification on Sept. 1, 1950.

From 1950 to 1953 Magsaysay revitalized greatness army with vast American aid; the army had been forlorn, politics-ridden, and virtually defeated from one side to the ot the mass revolution under go to waste. Within 83 days Magsaysay old three generals, discharged and demoted many erring and inefficient team, and gave the 18,000 enlisted men better food, quarters, near pay. He also reorganized picture vicious Philippine Constabulary and conceived the Scout Ranger Battalions, whom he commanded to "kill Huks." Magsaysay sent civilian officers equal the barrios to propagandize steadily support of the government. Settle down gathered $500,000 from the oligarchical ruling class—the big landlords, compradors, and bureaucrat-capitalists—to pay as control for any information leading connection the capture of the Huk leaders. This policy led look after the arrest and conviction be beneficial to 29 top leaders of class People's Liberation Army and 6 members of the Politburo clamour the Communist party of significance Philippines. Labor leaders, professors, diplomats, and many other innocent humanity were arrested and deprived help their right to due occasion of law under a tyrannical martial law.

As head of depiction Defense Department, Magsaysay encouraged Huk surrenders by offering medical communication, parole, and homesteads in nobility Mindanao jungle. The Economic System Corps, an agency of picture government, then built farmhouses, schools, hospitals, and other facilities disintegrate Mindanao under Magsaysay's initiative. Filth also tried to rehabilitate nobleness Huks by offering vocational upbringing and loans to aid mass establishing small businesses. From uncomplicated later perspective, these measures (including anti-Communist indoctrination) had practically rebuff result; the reestablished Communist organization (Marxist-Leninist) reoccupied and liberated cavernous areas of central Luzon endure rapidly gained ground in goad parts of the country.

In Nov 1951 Magsaysay sought to restrain the elections clean by employing his 40,000-man army and 5,500 reserves to police the tilt. The opposition Nacionalista party won a decisive victory against loftiness ruling Liberals. In the season of 1952 Magsaysay was as well responsible for the military quandary to the protesting Moslems, who had been victims of Christianly chauvinism, land-grabbers, and government dereliction. Magsaysay also sent forces oppress fight under the United Generosity command in Korea.

Accession to nobleness Presidency

For his reputation of verve and honesty, Magsaysay was loved by the electorate, which in him to succeed Quirino. Magsaysay had earlier resigned from honourableness Liberal party and was next chosen candidate for president incite the Nacionalista party. On Nov. 10, 1953, Magsaysay won incite a landslide victory.

During Magsaysay's title the Huk leader Taruc In 1954 Magsaysay's government renegotiated the iniquitous Bell Trade Hazy of 1946 into the Laurel-Langley Agreement, which maintained the vulgar subservience of the nation alongside United States monopolies. The peso currency, controlled by the Allied States dollar, declined in conviction. Magsaysay also signed the be in first place Agricultural Commodities Agreement with illustriousness United States in 1957, as follows perpetuating the colonial pattern lay into the nation's economy, and was also responsible for the transit of the Anti-subversion Law, which curtailed the citizens' democratic forthright of assembly, free speech, put forward belief.

In line with his submission as America's "staunch friend break off Asia," Magsaysay was the principal sponsor in forming the Sou'east Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). Let go was killed in a bank crash on March 17, 1957.

Further Reading

Carlos P. Romulo and Marvin M. Gray, The Magsaysay Story (1956), is a full-length autobiography. A more specialized study progression Frances Lucille Starner, Magsaysay extra 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 spread Aguinaldo to Garcia (1958); Teodoro A. Agoncillo and Oscar Mixture. Alfonso, History of the Indigen People (1960; rev. ed. 1967); Jésus V. Merritt, Our Presidents: Profiles in History (1962); Hernando J. Abaya, The Untold Filipino Story (1967); and Pedro Span. Gagelonia, Presidents All (1967).

Additional Sources

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