Joel Angelo M.

Infante POLITICS, GOVERNMENT & CITIZENSHIP

BSITSJ 1-1 January 1, 2019

BIOGRAPHY OF RAMON MAGSAYSAY

I. Biography
SYNOPSIS
Born in the Philippines on August 31, 1907, Ramon Magsaysay was the seventh president of the
Philippines (1953–1957), best known for successfully defeating the communist-led Hukbalahap
(Huk) movement in his country and his popular appeal. He died in his country in 1957.
EARLY LIFE
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.
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.
Source: https://www.biography.com/people/ramon-magsaysay-40218

II. Reflection
After reading on this biography of Ramon Magsaysay I can say that he has traits of what the
people want in a leader. Having experienced rough times from the Philippine military in WWII,
proving that he has sense of justice, to prove the right of the people, to protect and serve. He
acted as a leader to exterminate the Huk communists until they were a threat no more. Became
the president of the Philippines in which he has catered to people in need leading to a
reformation, this is what our country needed for a leader, he takes action to what it is needed to
be done to remove corrupted people from our country. He gave the people his best leadership
skills but is sadly met with an untimely death from his Presidential flight. People can learn from
his legacy, his passion of leadership of serving the people with what they need in his power to
what he can do. I can also say that the award named after him is truly a commemoration of his
legacy, given to people with his similar ideology to serve his people and give its best.