The Magsaysay Era: The Beginning of the liberty in the Philippines
Ramon Magsaysay is the most influential, a hero and the most humble president that all Filipinos ever knew according to the studies and research about the Presidents of the Philippines. He is the only President that retained in the mind of the mass of Filipinos, because of his humbleness and care for all people especially to his projects and programs that he made promoting and to strengthen the agriculture, the manpower, and labor. But, who is Ramon Magsaysay before he became the President of the Philippines.
Our former and late President of the Philippines, Ramon “Monching” del Fierro Magsaysay was born on August 31,1907 at Castillejos, Zambales and his parents are Exequiel Magsaysay and Perfecta del Fierro. His father is a carpenter, blacksmith and his mother is a school teacher. Ramon studied at University of the Philippines and took up an Engineering Course in 1927, while he is studying he also worked as a driver, Ramon got sick. He decided to transferred to Jose Rizal University and graduated in 1932 with the taken course of Bachelor of Science in Commerce Degree, He is also a mechanic.
He is also a soldier and one of the heroes of World War II because, in 1945, Ramon and his troops made an organization of “Pwersang Gerilya sa Kanlurang Luzon” where the force of Americans and the Filipino soldiers liberated Zambales. He received his honorable discharge on February 8, 1946. In 1950 he is appointed as the Secretary of Defense and dissolves the “Hukbalahap” that later became the Red Communist led by Luis Taruc. Ramon Magsaysay won the Presidential Elections on December 30, 1953, against to our former President, Elpidio Quirino.
During his first inauguration ceremony as a President of the Philippines at the Independence Grandstand (known now as Quirino Grandstand), he is the first President who wore a well-groomed National Dress of the Philippines; The Barong Tagalog and swore in front of the Filipino people while his one hand is on the bible. Ramon Magsaysay opens the gate of Malacañang Palace for all Filipinos who want to visit, See? He is only the president who does it and no other president has been able to open the Malacañang Palace gate for the mass of Filipino anymore.
Ramon Magsaysay saves the democracy in the Philippines. He also worked to improved our economic, eliminated those people in the government that involved in corruption, and giving a reformed land to our landless farmers. He established the program of SSS (Social Security System) for the private sector in order to give the pensions for the Filipino Citizen and he also signed the Labor Code to strengthen the employee and the production of the products in the Philippines especially on the agriculture.
Magsaysay also made some Laws and Programs for our Farmers:
• Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954
It is established as the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation for the landless farmers.
• Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954)
It is the share of tenancy and relationship between the landowners and the tenants
• Agricultural Commodities Agreement with the U.S. (1957)
It is the perpetuating the colonial pattern of the nation’s economy
Ramon Magsaysay also wanted to socialize with other people even he is the President
of the Philippines. According to some research, Ramon Magsaysay also wore shorts and a Sando shirt when he goes to the market without any protection on his body including bodyguards. He is not stagy and not afraid to be unclean from the outside of Malacañang Palace.
But on March 17, 1957, the Philippines sorrowed to the death of Ramon Magsaysay. His rule ended when he died because of the plane crash at Mt. Balamban, Cebu.
All of us wish to have a very outstanding and humble president in our generation just like the late and our former President Ramon Magsaysay ., Why do I say so? Because he is the only and the first president to wear a well-groomed “Barong-Tagalog;” our national dress here in the Philippines on his first inauguration as a president and also he used a bible for his oath. Late President Ramon Magsaysay is a very well opened to all the Filipino citizens and he chose to be a simple and kind president not like those presidents who followed him in the term. He gave more attention to the land of our farmers to help them to grow and make some programs on it.
If Ramon Magsaysay is our president today, The Philippines will no longer a “Rising Tiger” in the economy but a successful country with a good moral and equality to all citizens. The beginning of the liberty of the Philippines starts in the Administration of Ramon Magsaysay no other term or administration just like this.