Ramon Magsaysay

And the Philippines at its

prime

•Ramón del Fierro Magsaysay•Born on August 31, 1907 in Iba, Zambales•And he died on March 17, 1957 in a plane crush in Cebu .• Exequiel Magsaysay a blacksmith, • 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 an automobile mechanic and shop superintendent.

House of RepresentativesOn April 22, 1946, Magsaysay, encouraged by his

ex-guerrillas, was elected under the Liberal Party 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 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 DefenseIn 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 weak. 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.

Rafael Lacson – Governor in Negros Occidental

-assumed the gubernatorial chair and he ran the war-torn province as a police state. He tied up with the wealthy sugar plantation owners in the province, assembled private local armies and held the constabulary in an iron fist. The next year, many local journalists foretold the defeat of Lacson in the office if he would not loosen up his policies in the province.

1951 Negros Occidental incident

In 1951 local elections, a man named Moises Padilla, a former guerrilla fighter against the

Japanese during Second World War, declared his bid for candidacy to become the mayor of town

of Magallon (now Moises Padilla). Padilla's opponent was an ally of Lacson. Because of this

political alliance, Lacson sent a word to Padilla to renounce his candidacy or else he would die. Even

though he was warned, Padilla continued his campaign but he sought military protection from

defense secretary Ramón Magsaysay.

After the elections, Padilla lost the mayoralty race. The night after that, Lacson's uniformed men picked Padilla

up and he was sent on a "town show" where he was beaten and tortured along the road. After the torturing, one of Lacson's men announced in the town plaza that this is "what happens to people who oppose us." When

the news reached Magsaysay that Padilla was being tortured, he went to Negros Occidental. To his surprise, Magsaysay was informed that Padilla had already been killed by Lacson's men before the secretary even went to the province. Padilla's body was swimming in blood, pierced by fourteen bullets, and was positioned on a

police bench in the town plaza.

The event afterward made Magsaysay's political career brighten up. Magsaysay himself carried the body of Padilla with his bare hands and delivered it to the morgue. News clips showed Magsaysay's pictures

holding Padilla's body the next day. Magsaysay even used this event during his presidential campaign in

1953.The trial against Lacson started in January 1952.

Magsaysay and his men presented their evidence enough to convict Lacson and his 26 men for murder.

On August 1954, the guilty verdict was given by Judge Eduardo Enriquez. The sentence was to put Lacson, his 22 men and three other mayors of Negros Occidental

municipalities in an electric chair.

Presidential elections were held on November 10, 1953 in the Philippines. Incumbent President Elpidio Quirino lost his opportunity to get a second full term as President of the Philippines to former Defense Secretary Ramón Magsaysay. His running mate, Senator José Yulo lost to Senator Carlos P. García. Vice President Fernando López did not run for re-election. This was the first time that an elected president did not come from the Senate. Moreover he started the jingles during election, for one of his inclinations and hobbies was dancing.The United States government, including the CIA, had a strong influence on the 1953 elections, and candidates in the election fiercely competed with each other for U.S. support

Presidential Election of 1953

Presidency

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. He was

then called "Mambo Magsaysay".

1. Ushering, indeed, a new era in Philippine government, President Magsaysay placed emphasis upon service to the people by bringing the government closer to the former. This was symbolically seen when, on inauguration day, President Magsaysay ordered the gates of Malacañang Palace open to all and sundry, who were allowed to freely visit all the dependencies of the presidential mansion. Later, this was regulated to allow weekly visit.

President's Action Body

2. to his electoral promise, President Magsaysay created the Presidential Complaints and Action Committee. This body immediately proceeded to hear grievances and recommend remedial action. Headed by soft-spoken, but active and tireless, Manuel Manahan, this committee would come to hear nearly sixty thousand complaints in a year, of which more than thirty thousand would be settled by direct action and a little more than twenty five thousand, referred to government agencies for appropriate follow-up. This new entity, composed of youthful personnel, all loyal to the President, proved to be a highly successful morale booster restoring the people's confidence in their own government.

Agrarian Reform1. (NARRA)- National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration, it was created by president Magsaysay to amplify and stabilize the functions of the Economic Development Corps (EDCOR). This body took over from the EDCOR and helped in the giving some sixty five thousand acres to three thousand indigent families for settlement purposes. Again, it allocated some other twenty five thousand to a little more than one thousand five hundred landless families, who subsequently became farmers.

2. Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Administration (ACCFA). The idea was for this entity to make available rural credits. Records show that it did grant, in this wise, almost ten million dollars. This administration body next devoted its attention to cooperative marketing.

3. Along this line of help to the rural areas, President Magsaysay initiated in all earnestness the artesian wells campaign. A group-movement known as the Liberty Wells Association was formed and in record time managed to raise a considerable sum for the construction of as many artesian wells as possible. The socio-economic value of the same could not be gainsaid and the people were profuse in their gratitude.

4. Finally, vast irrigation projects, as well as enhancement of the Ambuklao Power plant and other similar ones, went along way towards bringing to reality the rural improvement program advocated by President Magsaysay

President Ramón Magsaysay enacted the following laws as part of his Agrarian Reform Program:

1. Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954—Abolished the 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.

2. Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) – governed the relationship between landowners and tenant farmers by organizing share-tenancy and leasehold system. The law provided the security of tenure of tenants. It also created the Court of Agrarian Relations.

3. Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) – Created the Land Tenure Administration (LTA) which was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of large tenanted rice and corn lands over 200 hectares for individuals and 600 hectares for corporations.

4. Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing Administration) – Provided small farmers and share tenants loans with low interest rates of six to eight percent

HUKBALAHAP•With the all out anti-dissidence campaigns against the Huks, they numbered less than 2,000 by 1954 and without the protection and support of local supporters, active Huk resistance no longer presented a serious threat to Philippine security. From February to mid-September 1954, the largest anti-Huk operation, "Operation Thunder-Lightning" was conducted that resulted to the surrender of Luis Taruc on May 17. Further clean up operations of guerillas remaining lasted throughout 1955, diminishing its number to less than 1,000 by year's end.

SEATOThe administration of President Magsaysay was active in the fight against the expansion of communism in the Asian region. He made the Philippines a member of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), which was established in Manila on Sept. 8, 1954 during the "Manila Conference“. Members of SEATO were alarmed at the possible victory of North Vietnam over South Vietnam, which could spread communist ideology to other countries in the region. The possibility that a communist state can influence or cause other countries to adopt the same system of government is called the domino theory.

Reparations Agreement•Following the reservations made by Ambassador

Romulo, on the Philippines behalf, upon signing the Japanese Peace Treaty in San Francisco on September

8, 1951, for several years of series of negotiations were conducted by the Philippine government and that of Japan. In the face of adamant claims of the

Japanese government that it found impossible to meet the demand for the payment of eight billion dollars by the way of reparations, president Magsaysay, during a

so-called "cooling off" period, sent a Philippine Reparations Survey Committee, headed by Finance Secretary Jaime Hernandez, to Japan for an "on the

spot" study of that country's possibilities.

When the Committee reported that Japan was in a position to pay, Ambassador Felino Neri, appointed chief negotiator, went to Tokyo. On May 31, 1955,

Ambassador Neri reached a compromise agreement with Japanese Minister Takazaki, the main terms of

which consisted in the following:1. The Japanese government would pay eight hundred million dollars as reparations. Payment

was to be made in this wise: a. Twenty million dollars would be paid in cash in

Philippine currencyb. thirty million dollars, in services

c. five million dollars, in capital goodsd. and two hundred and fifty million dollars, in long-

term industrial loans.On August 12, 1955, President Magsaysay informed the

Japanese government, through Prime Minister Ichiro Hatoyama, that the Philippines accepted the Neri-

Takazaki agreement. In view of political developments in Japan, the Japanese Prime Minister could only

inform the Philippine government of the Japanese acceptance of said agreement on March 15, 1956. The

official Reparations agreement between the two government was finally signed at Malacañang

Palace on May 9, 1956, thus bringing to a rather satisfactory conclusion this long drawn controversy

between the two countries.

DeathMagsaysay did not finish his term that was expected to end of

December 30, 1957 because he died in a plane crash. On March 16, 1957 Magsaysay left Manila for Cebu City where he spoke at

three educational institutions. That same night, at about 1 am, 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, the actual number on board was 25, including

Magsaysay. Only newspaperman Néstor Mata survived. Vice President Carlos Garcia, 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 5 million people attended Magsaysay's burial on March 31, 1957.

He is then referred to by the people the "Idol of the Masses".

Thank you for listening!!!

MARK RAVEN G. CANCINOBSE II-4

SOC-SCI MAJOR