View source for Ramon Magsaysay

{{Short description|President of the Philippines (1953–1957)}}
 
{{Redirect|Magsaysay}}
{{Philippine name|del Fierro|Magsaysay}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Ramon Magsaysay
| image               = Ramon-Magsaysay-01.jpg
| imagesize           = 
| caption             = 
| order               = 7th
| office              = President of the Philippines
| vicepresident       = Carlos P. Garcia
| term_start          = December 30, 1953
| term_end            = March 17, 1957
| predecessor         = [[Elpidio Quirino]]
| successor           = [[Carlos P. Garcia]]
| office1             = 6th [[Secretary of National Defense (Philippines)|Secretary of National Defense]]
| term_start1         = January 1, 1954
| term_end1           = May 14, 1954
| president1          = ''Himself''
| predecessor1        = [[Oscar Castelo]]
| successor1          = [[Sotero Cabahug]]
| term_start2         = September 1, 1950
| term_end2           = February 28, 1953
| president2          = Elpidio Quirino
| predecessor2        = [[Ruperto Kangleon]]
| successor2          = [[Oscar Castelo]]
| office3             = Member of the [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|House of Representatives]] from [[Zambales]]’ [[Zambales's at-large congressional district|Lone]] district
| term_start3         = May 28, 1946
| term_end3           = September 1, 1950<ref>Appointed [[Secretary of National Defense (Philippines)|Secretary of National Defense]] on September 1, 1950.</ref>
| predecessor3        = Valentin Afable
| successor3          = Enrique Corpus
| office4             = [[Governor of Zambales|Military Governor of Zambales]]
| term_start4         = February 1, 1945
| term_end4           = March 6, 1945
| predecessor4        = Jose Corpuz
| successor4          = Francisco Anonas
| appointer4          = [[Douglas MacArthur]]
| birth_name          = Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1907|8|31}}
| birth_place         = [[Iba, Zambales]], [[Insular Government of the Philippine Islands|Philippine Islands]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1957|3|17|1907|8|31}}
| death_place         = [[Mount Manunggal]], Balamban, Cebu, Philippines
| death_cause         = [[1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash|Airplane crash]]
| resting_place       = [[Manila North Cemetery]], Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines
| party               = [[Nacionalista Party|Nacionalista]] (1953–1957)
| otherparty          = [[Liberal Party (Philippines)|Liberal]] (1946–1953)<ref name="Ramon Magsaysay 2008">"Ramon Magsaysay." Microsoft Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.</ref><ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961">Molina, Antonio. ''The Philippines: Through the centuries''. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Cooperative, 1961. Print.</ref>
| alma_mater          = [[University of the Philippines]]<br />[[José Rizal University]] ([[Bachelor of Commerce|BComm]])
| profession          = [[Soldier]], [[automotive mechanic]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|[[Luz Magsaysay|Luz Banzon]]|1933}}<!-- Ramon Magsaysay died in 1957, so that marriage ended with his death, no need to put here -->
| children            = {{hlist|Teresita|Milagros|[[Ramon Magsaysay Jr.|Ramon Jr.]]}}
| signature           = Ramon Magsaysay Signature.svg
<!--Military service-->| allegiance          = {{flag|Philippines|1936}}<!---Flag at the time of service--->
| branch              = [[Philippine Commonwealth Army]]
| serviceyears        = 1942–1945
| rank                = [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]]
| unit                = [[31st Division (Philippines)|31st Infantry Division]]
| battles             = {{tree list}}
* [[World War II]]
** [[Battle of Bataan]]
** [[Philippine resistance against Japan|Philippine resistance]]
{{tree list/end}}
| module              = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Ramon Magsaysay receiving his Doctor of Laws from the University of the East (1957).ogg|title=Ramon Magsaysay's voice |description=Speech for receiving his Doctor of Laws from the University of the East <br /> (Recorded on January 25, 1957)}}
}}

'''Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay Sr.''' {{Post-nominals|post-noms=[[Quezon Service Cross|QSC]] [[Order of the Golden Heart (Philippines)|GCGH]] [[Order of the White Elephant|KGE]]}} {{post-nominals|list=[[Knight Grand Cross Royal Order of Cambodia|GCC]]}} (August 31, 1907 – March 17, 1957) was the seventh [[president of the Philippines]], serving from 1953 until [[1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash|his death]] in 1957. An automobile mechanic by profession, Magsaysay was appointed military governor of Zambales after his outstanding service as a guerrilla leader during the [[Pacific War]]. He then served two terms as [[Liberal Party (Philippines)|Liberal Party]] congressman for [[Zambales]]'s [[Zambales's at-large congressional district|at-large district]] before being appointed Secretary of National Defense by President [[Elpidio Quirino]]. He was eventually elected as president under the banner of the [[Nacionalista Party]], the youngest to be elected to the position, and second youngest overall (after [[Emilio Aguinaldo]]). He was the first Philippine president born in the 20th century and the first to be born after the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] [[History of the Philippines (1521–1898)|colonial era]]. Magsaysay died in a plane crash on March 17, 1957, in [[Cebu]]. His successor, [[Carlos P. Garcia]], assumed the presidency. He is the most recent Philippine president to have died in office.

==Biography==

===Early life and education===
[[File:Ramon Magsaysay teenager.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|Magsaysay in his teenage years]]

Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay, of mixed [[Tagalog people|Tagalog]], [[Visayans|Visayan]], [[Spaniards|Spanish]], and [[Sangley|Chinese]] descent,<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last=Tan|first=Antonio S.|date=1986|title=The Chinese Mestizos and the Formation of the Filipino Nationality|url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/arch_0044-8613_1986_num_32_1_2316 |doi-access=free |journal=Archipel|volume=32|pages=141–162|doi=10.3406/arch.1986.2316 |via=Persée}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ryan |first=Allyn C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DkKEifShPP4C |title=A Biographical Novel of Ramon Magsaysay |date=2007 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=978-1-4257-9161-2 |language=English |quote="Actually, my ancestors on my mother's side were mestizos, an admixture of Spanish, Visayan, and Tagalog," Monching said.}}</ref> was born in [[Iba, Zambales|Iba]] on August 31, 1907, to Exequiel Magsaysay y de los Santos (April 18, 1874, in [[San Marcelino, Zambales]] – January 24, 1969, in [[Manila]]), a blacksmith, and Perfecta del Fierro y Quimson (April 18, 1886, in [[Castillejos]], Zambales – May 5, 1981, in [[Manila]]), a [[Sangley|Chinese mestizo]] schoolteacher, nurse.<ref name="Reader's Digest"/><ref name=":0" />

He spent his grade school life somewhere in Castillejos and his high school life at Zambales Academy in [[San Narciso, Zambales]].<ref name="BureauOfPrinting-1950">{{cite book |author=House of Representatives |title=Official Directory |date=1950 |publisher=Bureau of Printing |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=0s4GAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA167 167] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0s4GAAAAMAAJ |access-date=May 3, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> After college, Magsaysay entered the [[University of the Philippines]] in 1927,<ref name="BureauOfPrinting-1950" /> where he enrolled in a Mechanical Engineering course. He first worked as a chauffeur to support himself as he studied engineering; and later, he transferred to the Institute of Commerce at José Rizal College (now [[José Rizal University]]) from 1928 to 1932,<ref name="BureauOfPrinting-1950" /> where he received a [[Bachelor's degree|baccalaureate]] in commerce. He then worked as an automobile mechanic for a bus company<ref name="Greenberg-1987">{{cite book |last=Greenberg |first=Lawrence M. |title=The Hukbalahap Insurrection: A Case Study of a Successful Anti-insurgency Operation in the Philippines, 1946-1955 |date=1987 |publisher=Analysis Branch, U.S. Army Center of Military History |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=NFJyAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA79 79] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NFJyAAAAMAAJ |access-date=May 3, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> and shop superintendent.

=== Career during World War II ===
[[File:Ramon Magsaysay guerilla.jpg|thumb|left|Magsaysay as a guerrilla fighter during [[World War II]]]]

At the outbreak of World War II, he joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the [[Philippine Army]]. When [[Bataan]] surrendered in 1942, Magsaysay escaped to the hills, narrowly evading Japanese arrest on at least four occasions. There he organised the Western Luzon Guerrilla Forces, and was commissioned captain on April 5, 1942. For three years, Magsaysay operated under Col. [[Frank Merrill]]'s famed guerrilla outfit and saw action at Sawang, San Marcelino, Zambales, first as a supply officer codenamed ''Chow'' and later as commander of a 10,000-strong force.<ref name="Reader's Digest">{{cite book|author=Manahan, Manuel P.|title=Reader's Digest November 1987 issue: Biographical Tribute to Ramon Magsaysay|year=1987|pages=17–23}}</ref>

Magsaysay was among those instrumental in clearing the Zambales coast of the Japanese prior to the landing of American forces together with [[Philippine Commonwealth]] troops on January 29, 1945.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

===Family===
He was married to [[Luz Magsaysay|Luz Rosauro Banzon]] on June 16, 1933, and they had three children: Teresita (1934–1979), Milagros (b. 1936) and [[Ramon Magsaysay, Jr.|Ramon Jr.]] (b. 1938).

Several of Magsaysay's relatives became prominent public figures in their own right:
* [[Ramon Magsaysay Jr.|Ramon "Jun" Banzon Magsaysay Jr.]], son; former Congressman and Senator
* Francisco "Paco" Delgado Magsaysay, entrepreneur
* [[Genaro Magsaysay]], brother; former Senator
* [[Vicente Magsaysay]], nephew; Former Governor of [[Zambales]]
* [[JB Magsaysay]], grandnephew; actor, politician, and businessman
* [[Antonio Diaz (Filipino politician)|Antonio Magsaysay Diaz]], nephew; former Congressman and Assemblyman of Zambales
* [[Anita Magsaysay-Ho]], cousin; painter

===House of Representatives (1945–1950)===
On April 22, 1946, Magsaysay, encouraged by his fellow ex-guerrillas, was elected under the [[Liberal Party (Philippines)|Liberal Party]] to the [[Philippine House of Representatives]].<ref name="Ramon Magsaysay 2008">"Ramon Magsaysay." Microsoft Student 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008.</ref> In 1948, President [[Manuel Roxas]] chose Magsaysay to go to [[Washington, D.C.]] as Chairman of the Committee on Guerrilla Affairs, to help secure the passage of the Rogers Veterans Bill, giving benefits to Philippine veterans.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} In the so-called [[1949 Philippine general election|"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.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

===Secretary of National Defense (1950–1953)===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2011}}

In early August 1950, he offered President [[Elpidio Quirino]] a plan to fight the communist guerrillas, using his own experiences in guerrilla warfare during World War II. After some hesitation, Quirino realized that there was no alternative and appointed Magsaysay Secretary of National Defense in September 1950.<ref name="Thompson-2014">{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Roger C. |title=The Pacific Basin since 1945: An International History |date=September 25, 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-87529-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uz6gBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT70 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> He intensified the campaign against the [[Hukbalahap]] guerrillas. This success was due in part to the unconventional methods he took up from a former advertising expert and CIA agent, Colonel [[Edward Lansdale]]. In the counterinsurgency the two utilized deployed soldiers distributing relief goods and other forms of aid to outlying, provincial communities. Prior to Magsaysay's appointment as Defense Secretary, rural citizens perceived the Philippine Army with apathy and distrust. However, Magsaysay's term enhanced the Army's image, earning them respect and admiration.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ladwig III, Walter C. |title=When the Police are the Problem: The Philippine Constabulary and the Huk Rebellion |series=in C. Christine Fair and Sumit Ganguly, (eds.) ''Policing Insurgencies: Cops as Counterinsurgents'' |location=[[Oxford]], UK |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |url=http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mert1769/Huk_Chapter.pdf |access-date=May 31, 2014 |archive-date=May 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513000638/http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mert1769/Huk_Chapter.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In June 1952, Magsaysay made a goodwill tour to the United States and Mexico. He visited [[New York City|New York]], [[Washington, D.C.]] (with a medical check-up at [[Walter Reed Army Medical Center|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 fears 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,<ref name="Barrens-1970">{{cite book |last1=Barrens |first1=Clarence G. |title=I Promise: Magsaysay's Unique PSYOP "defeats" HUKS |date=1970 |publisher=US Army Command and General Staff College |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vc5BFaAzmMIC&pg=PA58 58] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vc5BFaAzmMIC |access-date=May 3, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> and became the presidential candidate of the [[Nacionalista Party (Philippines)|Nacionalista Party]],<ref name="Simbulan-2005">{{cite book |last1=Simbulan |first1=Dante C. |title=The Modern Principalia: The Historical Evolution of the Philippine Ruling Oligarchy |date=2005 |publisher=UP Press |isbn=978-971-542-496-7 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=55ZQdJG1G6IC&pg=PA162 162] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=55ZQdJG1G6IC |language=en}}</ref> disputing the nomination with Senator [[Camilo Osías]] at the Nacionalista national convention.

====1951 Padilla incident====
[[File:Moises Padilla Story.jpg|thumb|right|Theatrical poster of the 1961 film ''The Moises Padilla Story'' that narrates the 1951 event.]]

When news reached Magsaysay that his political ally Moises Padilla was being [[torture]]d by men of provincial governor Rafael Lacson, he rushed to [[Negros Occidental]], but was too late. He was then informed that Padilla's body was drenched in blood, pierced by fourteen bullets, and was positioned on a police bench in the town plaza.<ref name="time 1954">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,820089,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091128092657/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,820089,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 28, 2009|title=The Philippines: Justice for the Governor|date=September 6, 1954|work=Time Magazine|access-date=February 3, 2010}}</ref> Magsaysay himself carried Padilla's corpse with his bare hands and delivered it to the [[morgue]], and the next day, news clips showed pictures of him doing so.<ref name="Pimentel">{{cite web|url=http://www.mabuhayradio.com/content/view/430/51|title=Remembering President Ramón Magsaysay y Del Fierro: A Modern-Day Moses|access-date=February 3, 2010|archive-date=March 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318011411/http://www.mabuhayradio.com/content/view/430/51/|url-status=dead}} A privileged speech by Senator [[Nene Pimentel]] delivered at the Senate, August 2001.</ref> Magsaysay even used this event during his [[1953 Philippine general election|presidential campaign in 1953]].

The trial against Lacson started in January 1952; Magsaysay and his men presented enough evidence to convict Lacson and his 26 men for murder.<ref name="time 1954"/> In August 1954, Judge Eduardo Enríquez ruled the men were guilty and Lacson, his 25 men and three other mayors of Negros Occidental municipalities were condemned to the [[electric chair]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,820089-2,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091128082853/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,820089-2,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 28, 2009|title=The Philippines: Justice for the Governor|access-date=February 3, 2010 | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=September 6, 1954}} Second page of ''Time''{{'}}s coverage of Rafael Lacson's case.</ref>

===Manila Railroad leadership===
Magsaysay was also the general manager of the [[Manila Railroad Company]] between October and December 1951. His tenure later motivated him to modernize the rail operator's fleet after stepping into presidency. He also set the first steps in building what has been the discontinued Cagayan Valley Railroad Extension project.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Gary|last=Satre|title=The Cagayan Valley Railway Extension Project|url=https://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr22/F38_Satre.html|publisher=East Japan Railway Culture Foundation|date=December 1999|access-date=May 3, 2022}}</ref>

===1953 presidential campaign===
{{Main|1953 Philippine presidential election}}

Presidential elections were held on November 10, 1953, in the Philippines. Incumbent President [[Elpidio Quirino]] lost his opportunity for a second full term as [[President of the Philippines]] to former Defense Secretary Magsaysay. His running mate, [[Senate of the Philippines|Senator]] [[José Yulo]] lost to [[Senate of the Philippines|Senator]] [[Carlos P. García]]. [[Vice President of the Philippines|Vice President]] [[Fernando Lopez|Fernando López]] did not run for re-election. This was the first time that an elected Philippine President did not come from the [[Senate of the Philippines|Senate]]. Moreover, Magsaysay began the practice in the Philippines of "campaign jingles" during elections, for one of his inclinations and hobbies was dancing. The jingles that were used during the election period was [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJyuARjSo0M&pp=ygUPbWFtYm8gbWFnc2F5c2F5 "Mambo Magsaysay"]", [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTzfWMJWA9s&pp=ygURd2Ugd2FudCBtYWdzYXlzYXk%3D "We Want Magsaysay"], and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkEp0lXT32Q "The Magsaysay Mambo"]

The [[United States government]], including the [[Central Intelligence Agency]], had strong influence on the 1953 election, and candidates in the election fiercely competed with each other for U.S. support.<ref>{{cite book|author=Cullather, Nick|title=Illusions of influence: the political economy of United States-Philippines relations, 1942–1960|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=1994|isbn=978-0-8047-2280-3|pages=108–109|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gtj94zEWL_8C&pg=PA108}}</ref><ref name="Tharoor">Tharoor, Ishaan (October 13, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/10/13/the-long-history-of-the-u-s-interfering-with-elections-elsewhere/ "The long history of the U.S. interfering with elections elsewhere"]. ''[[The Washington Post]]''. Retrieved May 546121, 2019.</ref>

==Presidency (1953–1957)==
{{See also|List of executive orders by Ramon Magsaysay}}
[[File:Ramon Magsaysay Official Malacañan Portrait.jpg|thumb|Official Malacañang portrait of Ramon Magsaysay by Antonio Garcia Llamas]]
{{Infobox President styles
|name=Ramon Magsaysay
|image =[[File:Seal_of_the_President_of_the_Philippines_1951-late_1960s.svg|100px]]
|dipstyle= [[His Excellency]]
|offstyle= Your Excellency
|altstyle= Mr. President
}}

In the [[1953 Philippine general election|election of 1953]], Magsaysay was decisively elected president over the incumbent [[Elpidio Quirino]]. He was sworn into office on Wednesday, December 30, 1953, at the [[Quirino Grandstand|Independence Grandstand]] in [[Manila]].<ref>{{Cite speech |date=December 30, 1953 |title=Inaugural Address of President Magsaysay, December 30, 1953 |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1953/12/30/inaugural-address-of-president-magsaysay-december-30-1953/ |access-date=June 2, 2023 |publisher=[[Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines]]}}</ref> He was wearing the [[barong tagalog]], a first by a Philippine President and a tradition that still continues up to this day. He was then called "Mambo Magsaysay". Also dressed in [[barong tagalog]] was the elected vice-president [[Carlos P. Garcia]].<ref name="Halili, M.C. 2010">Halili, M.C. (2010). Philippine History. Rex Book Store, Inc.</ref> The oath of office was administered by [[Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines]] [[Ricardo Paras]]. For the first time, a Philippine president swore on the [[Bible]] on an inauguration.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baclig |first=Cristina Eloisa |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Presidential inaugurations: Traditions, rituals, trivia |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1614163/for-posting-edited-presidential-inaugurations-traditions-rituals-trivia |accessdate=June 6, 2023 |website=INQUIRER.net}}</ref> He swore on two Bibles, from each parents' side.<ref name="bmelefante">{{cite news |last1=Elefante |first1=Fil |date=June 27, 2016 |title=Tales of past presidential inaugurations: Superstition and history |url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/tales-of-past-presidential-inaugurations-superstition-and-history/ |access-date=June 6, 2023 |work=Business Mirror}}</ref>

As President, he was a close friend and supporter of the United States and a vocal spokesman against communism during the [[Cold War]]. He led the foundation of the [[Southeast Asia Treaty Organization]], also known as the Manila Pact of 1954, that aimed to defeat communist-Marxist movements in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Southwestern Pacific.

During his term, he made [[Malacañang Palace|Malacañang]] literally a "house of the people," opening its gates to the public. One example of his integrity followed a demonstration flight aboard a new plane belonging to the [[Philippine Air Force]] (PAF): President Magsaysay asked what the operating costs per hour were for that type of aircraft, then wrote a personal check to the PAF, covering the cost of his flight. He restored the people's trust in the military and in the government.

<gallery>
File:Ramon Magsaysay inauguration.jpg|The taking of the [[Oath of Office|oath of office]] of President Ramon Magsaysay
File:Magsaysay and Garcia inauguration, 1953.jpg|[[President of the Philippines|President]] Ramon Magsaysay and then [[Vice President of the Philippines|Vice President]] [[Carlos P. Garcia]]
File:President Magsaysay with Secretary of National Defense Sotero Cabahug and Chief of Staff Jesus M. Vargas.jpg|President Ramon Magsaysay (center) with Secretary of National Defense [[Sotero Cabahug]] and Chief of Staff [[Jesus Vargas (general)|Jesus M. Vargas]]
File:President Ramon Magsaysay meets Rep. Ferdinand Marcos.jpg|President Ramon Magsaysay meets Ilocos Norte Rep. [[Ferdinand Marcos]]
File:Ramon Magsaysay, inspects signal bridge of USS Wasp (CVA-18).jpg|President Ramon Magsaysay, inspects signal bridge of USS Wasp (CVA-18) during his visit in Manila Bay (1954)
File:Prime-Minister-Pibulsonggram-Vice-President-Carlos-P-Garcia-President-Ramon.jpg|President Ramon Magsaysay (right) with Vice President [[Carlos P. Garcia]] (center) and Thai Prime Minister [[Plaek Phibunsongkhram]] (left)
File:Ramon Magsaysay 1957 stamp of the Philippines.jpg|President Ramon Magsaysay on a 1957 stamp of the Philippines after his death
</gallery>

===Administration and cabinet===
{{Main|List of cabinets of the Philippines#Ramon Magsaysay (1953–1957)}}

===Domestic policies===
{{Infobox
|name         = 
|title        = <small>Economy of the Philippines under</small><br />President Ramon Magsaysay<br /><small>1953–1957</small>
|titlestyle   = 
|above        = 
|imagestyle   = 
|captionstyle = 
|image        = 
|caption      = 
|image2       =
|caption2     = 
|bodystyle = width:26em; padding: 0px;
|abovestyle = background: lightblue;
|headerstyle = background: lightblue;
|labelstyle = font-weight: normal;
|header1  = Population
|label2   = '''1954'''
|data2    = <math>\approx</math> 21.40&nbsp;million
|header3  = Gross Domestic Product (1985 constant prices)
|label4   = '''1954'''
|data4    =  {{increase}} [[Philippine peso|Php]] 157,054 million
|label5  = '''1956'''
|data5 =   {{increase}}[[Philippine peso|Php]] 179,739 million
|label6 = '''Growth rate, 1954–56'''
|data6 = 7.2%
|header7 = Per capita income (1985 constant prices)
|label8 = '''1954'''
|data8 =  {{decrease}} [[Philippine peso|Php]] 7,339 
|label9 = '''1956'''
|data9 =  {{increase}} [[Philippine peso|Php]] 8,073
|header10 = Total exports
|label11 = '''1954'''
|data11 =  {{increase}} [[Philippine peso|Php]] 36,462 million
|label12 = '''1956'''
|data12 =  {{decrease}} [[Philippine peso|Php]] 34,727 million
|header13 = [[Exchange rate]]s
|data14 = 1 US US$ = [[Philippine peso|Php]] 2.00<br /> 1 [[Philippine peso|Php]] = US US$ 0.50
|data15 = ''Sources'': [https://web.archive.org/web/20110714131730/http://filipinopresidency.multiply.com/photos/album/26#photo=13 Philippine Presidency Project]<br />{{cite book|last=Malaya|first=Jonathan|author2=Eduardo Malaya|title=So Help Us God... The Inaugurals of the Presidents of the Philippines|publisher=Anvil Publishing, Inc.}}
}}

====Presidential Inauguration Day====
Ushering a new era in [[Philippine government]], President Magsaysay placed emphasis upon service to the people by bringing the government closer to the former.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961">Molina, Antonio. ''The Philippines: Through the centuries''. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Cooperative, 1961. Print.</ref>

This was symbolically seen when, on inauguration day, President Magsaysay ordered the gates of [[Malacañang Palace]] be opened to the general public, who were allowed to freely visit all parts of the palace complex. Later, this was regulated to allow weekly visitation.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

True to his electoral promise, he created the Presidential Complaints and Action Committee.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/> 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 60,000 complaints in a year, of which more than 30,000 would be settled by direct action and a little more than 25,000 would be 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. He appointed Zotico "Tex" Paderanga Carrillo in 1953 as PCAC Chief for Mindanao and Sulu. He became a close friend to the president because of his charisma to the common people of Mindanao.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Zotico was a local journalist and a writer from a family on [[Camiguin]], (then sub-province of [[Misamis Oriental]]), Zotico become a depository of complaints and an eye of the president in the region his diplomatic skills helped the government, moro and the rebels to learn the true situation in every city and municipalities. With his zero corruption mandate he recognized a turn of achievement of Zotico that made him his ''[[compadrazgo|compadre]]'' when Zotico named his fifth child after the President when he was elected in 1953, even making the President godfather to the boy. Magsaysay personally visited Mindanao several times because of this friendship, becoming the first President to visit Camiguin, where he was warmly received by thousands of people who waited for his arrival.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

====Agrarian reform====
{{See also|Land reform in the Philippines}}

To amplify and stabilize the functions of the Economic Development Corps (EDCOR), President Magsaysay worked for the establishment of the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA). This body took over from the EDCOR and helped in 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]].<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

As further aid to the rural people, the president established the Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Financing 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.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

Along this line of help to the rural areas, President Magsaysay initiated in all earnestness the [[artesian well]]s 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.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

Finally, vast irrigation projects, as well as enhancement of the Ambuklao Power plant and other similar ones, went a long way towards bringing to reality the rural improvement program advocated by President Magsaysay.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

President Magsaysay enacted the following laws as part of his Agrarian Reform Program:
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.
* 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dar.gov.ph/ar_history.html |title=Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) – Organizational Chart |access-date=November 7, 2009 |archive-date=February 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218115202/http://www.dar.gov.ph/ar_history.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon====
In early 1954, [[Benigno Aquino Jr.]] was appointed by President Magsaysay to act as his personal emissary to [[Luis Taruc]], leader of the rebel group, [[Hukbalahap]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-06-19 |title=Luis Taruc was born in Santa Monica, San Luis, Pampanga |url=https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1839/june-21-1913-luis-taruc-was-born-in-santa-monica-san-luis-pampanga |access-date=2025-08-27 |website=The Kahimyang Project |language=en}}</ref> Also in 1954, Lt. Col. Laureño Maraña, the former head of Force X of the 16th PC Company, assumed command of the 7th BCT, which had become one of the most mobile strikes of the Philippine ground forces against the Huks, under Colonel Valeriano. Force X employed psychological warfare through combat intelligence and infiltration that relied on secrecy in planning, training, and execution of attack. The lessons learned from Force X and Nenita were combined in the 7th BCT.

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 in Taruc's surrender on May 17.  Further cleanup operations of the remaining guerrillas lasted throughout 1955, cutting their number to less than 1,000 by year's end.<ref>Carlos P. Romulo and Marvin M. Gray, The Magsaysay Story (1956), is a full-length biography</ref><ref>Jeff Goodwin, [https://archive.org/details/nootherwayout00jeff/page/118 <!-- quote=huk rebellion. --> No Other Way Out], Cambridge University Press, 2001, p.119, {{ISBN|0-521-62948-9}}, {{ISBN|978-0-521-62948-5}}</ref>

===Foreign policy===
[[File:Magsaysay Roosevelt.jpg|thumb|[[Eleanor Roosevelt]] with President Ramon Magsaysay and First Lady [[Luz Magsaysay]] in Manila]]

====Southeast Asia Treaty Organization====
The administration of President Magsaysay was active in the fight against the expansion of communism in Asia. He made the Philippines a member of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization ([[SEATO]]), which was established in Manila on September 8, 1954, during the "Manila Conference".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/357732/Ramon-Magsaysay|title=Ramon Magsaysay – president of Philippines|date=August 27, 2023 }}</ref> 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]].<ref name="ReferenceA">Grace Estela C. Mateo: Philippine Civilization – History and Government, 2006</ref>

The active coordination of the Magsaysay administration with the Japanese government led to the Reparation Agreement. This was an agreement between the two countries, obligating the Japanese government to pay $550 million as reparation for war damages to the Philippines.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

The SEATO agreement have proved to be unpopular among the Philippines' Asian neighbors, having its original members were the U.S., [[France]], the [[U.K.]], [[Australia]], [[Pakistan]] and [[New Zealand]], with the U.S. as its driving force. His support for South Vietnamese president [[Ngo Dinh Diem]] became unpopular to the Vietnamese public especially those in the north. Magsaysay also pressured Cambodian Prince [[Norodom Sihanouk]] for [[Cambodia]] to join SEATO and claimed that the prince was violating Cambodia's non-alignment policy.<ref name="Dagdag">{{Cite journal |last=Dagdag |first=Edgardo E. |date=1999 |title=The Philippines and the quest for stable peace in Southeast Asia: A historical overview |url=https://www.asj.upd.edu.ph/mediabox/archive/ASJ-35-1999/dagdag.pdf |journal=Asian Studies |language=English}}</ref>{{Rp|page=91–94}}

====Defense Council====
Taking the advantage of the presence of U.S. Secretary [[John Foster Dulles]] in [[Manila]] to attend the [[SEATO]] Conference, the Philippine government took steps to broach with him the establishment of a Joint Defense Council. Vice-President and Secretary of Foreign Affairs [[Carlos P. Garcia]] held the opportune conversations with Secretary Dulles for this purpose. Agreement was reached thereon and the first meeting of the Joint United States–Philippines Defense Council was held in Manila following the end of the Manila Conference. Thus were the terms of the Mutual Defense Pact between the [[Philippines]] and the United States duly implemented.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

====Laurel-Langley Agreement====
{{Main|Laurel–Langley Agreement}}
[[File:Sen Primicias in Malacanang.jpg|thumb|left|At [[Malacañang Palace]], 1955. ''Clockwise, from top left:'' Senator [[Edmundo B. Cea|Edmundo Cea]], Former President [[Jose P. Laurel|Jose P. Laurel Sr.]], Senator [[Cipriano Primicias Sr.|Cipriano Primicias]], Senate President [[Eulogio Rodriguez|Eulogio A. Rodriguez, Sr.]], President Ramon Magsaysay, and House Speaker [[Jose Laurel Jr.|Jose B. Laurel, Jr.]]]]

Under Magsaysay’s leadership, Filipino nationalists addressed the killing of Filipinos who were crossing the perimeter of American military bases and growing anger over the Bell Trade Act. Negotiations with the United States led to the revision of these agreements, resulting in the Laurel-Langley Agreement, signed in December 1954 by Senator [[Jose P. Laurel]] and [[James M. Langley|James Langley]]. This agreement ended American control over Philippine currency and allowed more business opportunities for Filipino businessmen.<ref name="Jimenez">{{Cite journal |last=Jimenez |first=Miguel Antonio |date=September 28, 2018 |title=VIEWS ON THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY THROUGH THE NATIONALIST LENS: 1945 - 1992 |url=http://www.talakasaysayan.org/index.php/talakasaysayan/article/view/7 |journal=TALA: An Online Journal of History |language=en |volume=1 |issue=1 |issn=2651-7108}}</ref>{{Rp|page=43}} The agreement expired in 1974. Although it proved deficient, the final agreement satisfied nearly all of the diverse Filipino economic interests. While some have seen the Laurel-Langley agreement as a continuation of the 1946 trade act, Jose P. Laurel and other Philippine leaders recognized that the agreement substantially gave the country greater freedom to industrialize while continuing to receive privileged access to US markets.<ref>Illusions of influence: the political economy of United States–Philippines. By Nick Cullather</ref>

The agreement replaced the unpopular [[Bell Trade Act]], which tied the economy of the Philippines to that of the United States.

====Bandung Conference====
The culmination of a series of meetings to promote Afro-Asian economic and cultural cooperation and to oppose colonialism or neocolonialism by either the United States or the Soviet Union in the Cold War, or any other imperialistic nations, the [[Asian–African Conference]] was held in [[Bandung]], Indonesia, in April 1955, upon invitation extended by the prime ministers of [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Burma]], [[Ceylon]], and [[Indonesia]]. This summit is commonly known as the [[Bandung Conference]]. Initially, the Magsaysay government appeared hesitant to send any delegation. Later, however, upon the advice of Ambassador [[Carlos P. Rómulo]], it was decided to have the Philippines participate in the conference. Rómulo was asked to head the Philippine delegation.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/> At the very outset, indications were to the effect that the conference would promote the cause of neutralism as a third position in the current [[Cold War]] between the capitalist bloc and the communist group. [[John Kotelawala]], Prime Minister of Ceylon, however, broke the ice against neutralism.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/> He was immediately joined by Rómulo, who categorically stated that his delegation believed that "a puppet is a puppet,"<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/> no matter whether under a Western power or an Asian state.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

In the course of the conference, Indian Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] acidly spoke against the [[SEATO]]. Ambassador Rómulo delivered a stinging, eloquent retort that prompted Prime Minister Nehru to publicly apologize to the Philippine delegation.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/> According to their account, the Philippine delegation ably represented the interests of the Philippines and, in the ultimate analysis, succeeded in turning the Bandung Conference into a victory against the plans of its socialist and neutralist delegates.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/> However, according to the final communique of the conference, communism as a threat in Asia was not mentioned. Instead, participating countries viewed colonialism, racialism, cultural suppression, discrimination, and nuclear weapons as regional threats. Solutions offered by the conference for these threats were less ideological, which namely include:<ref name="Dagdag"/>{{Rp|page=93}}

{{Blockquote|text=(1) respect for human rights; (2) respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations; (3) recognition of the equality of all races and of all nations; (4) non-interference in the internal affairs of another country; (5) respect for the right of each nation to defend itself singly or collectively, in accordance with the UN Charter; (6) refraining from acts of threats or aggression or the use of force against another country; (7) promotion of mutual interests and cooperation; and (8) respect for justice and international obligations.}}

====Reparation agreement====
Following the reservations made by Ambassador Rómulo, on the Philippines' behalf, upon signing the Japanese Peace Treaty in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] on September 8, 1951, several years 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 it impossible to meet the demand for the payment of eight billion dollars by way of reparations, President Magsaysay, during a so-called "cooling off"<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/> 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.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

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 of the following: The Japanese government would pay eight hundred million dollars as reparations. Payment was to be made in this wise: Twenty million dollars would be paid in cash in Philippine currency; thirty million dollars, in services; five million dollars, in capital goods; and two hundred and fifty million dollars, in long-term industrial loans.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

On August 12, 1955, President Magsaysay informed the Japanese government, through Prime Minister [[Ichirō Hatoyama|Ichiro Hatoyama]], that the Philippines accepted the Neri-Takazaki agreement.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/> 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 governments 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.<ref name="Molina, Antonio 1961"/>

===Controversies===

===="Consecration" of the Philippines to Sacred Heart====
On December 2, 1956, during the Second National Eucharistic Congress in Manila, President Ramon Magsaysay publicly consecrated the Philippines to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,<ref>{{Cite web |last=III |first=Manuel L. Quezon |date=April 13, 2022 |title=Vox populi? Vox humbug! |url=https://opinion.inquirer.net/152054/vox-populi-vox-humbug |access-date=February 22, 2025 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}}</ref> which was initially planned since November of the same year.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Magsaysay Rapped for Proposal To Dedicate Republic to Sacred Heart |url=https://www.hawaii.edu/uhwo/clear/HonoluluRecord/articles/v9n19/Magsaysay%20Rapped%20for%20Proposal%20To%20Dedicate%20Republic%20to%20Sacred%20Heart.html |access-date=February 22, 2025 |website=www.hawaii.edu}}</ref> This act was a reiteration of a similar dedication made by then-Vice President Fernando Lopez in 1950. Magsaysay's decision, however, ignited significant controversy and opposition. Protestant groups, including the Philippine Federation of Christian Churches, voiced strong objections, arguing that the consecration favored a particular religion and violated the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 24, 1956 |title=Protests Ignored in Consecration of Philippines |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/1956/12/protests-ignored-in-consecration-of-philippines/ |access-date=February 22, 2025 |website=Christianity Today |language=en-US}}</ref> Dr. Gumersindo Garcia, a regent of the University of the Philippines, was notably vocal, stating that the president should not endorse any specific church, as it undermines the religious diversity of the nation.<ref name=":1" />

Supporters of Magsaysay, such as Senator Soc Rodrigo and Raul Manglapus, defended his actions by asserting that he was acting in a personal capacity, exercising his individual religious freedom.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=December 7, 2005 |title=Rebuilding the Walls Separating Church From State |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/277046 |access-date=February 22, 2025 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref> Despite these defenses, the act intensified debates about the role of religion in government affairs. Organizations like "The Spirit of 1896," dedicated to upholding individual rights and the separation of church and state, expressed doubts about the constitutionality of the consecration.<ref name=":2" />

==Death==
{{Main|1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash}}

Magsaysay's term, which was to end on December 30, 1957, was cut short by a plane crash. On March 16, 1957, Magsaysay left [[Manila]] for [[Cebu City]], where he spoke at a convention of [[U.S. Army Forces Far East|USAFFE]] veterans and the commencement exercises of three educational institutions, namely, the [[University of the Visayas]], [[Southwestern University (Philippines)|Southwestern Colleges]], and the [[University of San Carlos]].<ref name=ss1>{{cite news|first=Dominico|last= Moneva |title=Speak out: Magsaysay's death |url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/03/18/oped/dominico.c..moneva..html |publisher=Sun Star Cebu |date=March 18, 2006 |accessdate=March 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517202331/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/03/18/oped/dominico.c..moneva..html |archive-date=May 17, 2008 }}</ref> At the University of the Visayas, he was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws. That same night, at about 1:00&nbsp;am [[Philippine Standard Time|PST]], he boarded the presidential plane "Mt. Pinatubo," a [[C-47 Skytrain|C-47]], heading back to Manila. In the early morning hours of March 17, the plane was reported missing. By late afternoon, newspapers had reported the airplane had crashed on [[Mount Manunggal]] in Cebu and that 36 of the 56 aboard were killed. The actual number on board was 25, including Magsaysay. He was only 49. Only newspaperman [[Nestor Mata]] survived. Vice President [[Carlos P. Garcia]], who was on an official visit to [[Australia]] at the time, returned to Manila and [[First inauguration of Carlos P. Garcia|acceded to the presidency]] to serve out the remaining eight months of Magsaysay's term.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1957/03/31/official-month-in-review-march-16-march-31-1957/|title=Official Month in Review: March 16 – March 31, 1957|date=March 31, 1957|accessdate=September 30, 2023|website=[[Official Gazette (Philippines)|Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines]]}}</ref>
{| style="margin:auto"
| [[File:1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash site.jpg|thumb|right|The crash site of Ramon Magsaysay's presidential plane at Mount Manunggal, Cebu]]
| [[File:Pres. Ramon Magsaysay monument in Mt. Manunggal, Balamban, Cebu.jpg|thumb|right|Monument at the crash site in Manunggal, Balamban, Cebu]]
| [[File:Magsaysay Tomb.jpg|thumb|right|Ramon Magsaysay's tomb in the [[Manila North Cemetery]]]]
|}
An estimated two million people attended Magsaysay's state funeral on March 22, 1957.<ref>{{cite book | author=Zaide, Gregorio F. | title=Philippine History and Government|publisher=National Bookstore Printing Press |year=1984}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | author=Townsend, William Cameron | title=Biography of President Lázaro Cárdenas | year=1952}}
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; See the SIL International Website at: &nbsp; [http://www.sil.org/WCT/wct_bio5.html Establishing the Work in Mexico].</ref><ref>[[Carlos P. Romulo]] and Marvin M. Gray: ''The Magsaysay Story'' (The John Day Company, 1956, updated – with an additional chapter on Magsaysay's death – re-edition by Pocket Books, Special Student Edition, SP-18, December 1957)</ref> He was posthumously referred to as the "Champion of the Masses" and "Defender of Democracy." After his death, Vice President [[Carlos P. Garcia]] was inducted into the presidency on March 18, 1957, to complete the last eight months of Magsaysay's term. In the presidential elections of 1957, Garcia won his four-year term as president, but his running mate was defeated.<ref name="Halili, M.C. 2010"/>

==Legacy==
[[File:RamonMagsaysayStamp.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|In 1957, the United States government issued a [[commemorative stamp]] in honor of Magsaysay; part of the [[Champion of Liberty commemorative stamps|Champion of Liberty series.]]]]

Magsaysay's administration was considered as one of the cleanest and most corruption-free in modern Philippine history; his rule is often cited as the Philippines's "Golden Years." Trade and industry flourished, the [[Armed Forces of the Philippines|Philippine military]] was at its prime, and the country gained international recognition in sports, culture, and foreign affairs. The Philippines placed second on a ranking of Asia's clean and well-governed countries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guzman |first=Sara Soliven De |title=Has the government become our enemy? |url=https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2010/08/09/600741/has-government-become-our-enemy |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=Philstar.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 5, 2012 |title=Reforming the AFP Magsaysay's |url=https://nhcp.gov.ph/reforming-the-afp-magsaysays/ |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=National Historical Commission of the Philippines |language=en-US |archive-date=September 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928061101/https://nhcp.gov.ph/reforming-the-afp-magsaysays/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

His presidency is seen as people-centered, as government trust was high among the Filipino people, earning him the nickname "Champion of the Masses," and his sympathetic approach to the [[Hukbalahap Rebellion|Hukbalahap rebellion]] was that the Huk rebels were not Communists; they were simple peasants who thought that rebellion was the only answer to their sufferings. He also gained nationwide support for his agrarian reforms for farmers and took action on government corruption that his administration inherited from prior administrations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=FilipiKnow |title=6 Reasons Why Ramon Magsaysay Was The Best President Ever |url=https://filipiknow.net/reasons-why-ramon-magsaysay-was-the-best-president-ever/ |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=FilipiKnow |date=November 27, 2016 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Philippine History: President Ramon F. Magsaysay: Champion of the masses |url=http://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippine-history-president-ramon-f-magsaysay-champion-masses-185140036.html |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=ph.news.yahoo.com |language=en-PH}}</ref>

==Honors==
'''National Honors'''
*[[File:PHL_Quezon_Service_Cross_BAR.png|45px]]: [[Quezon Service Cross]] - posthumous (July 4, 1957)<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Quezon Service Cross |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/history-of-the-quezon-service-cross/ |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines |access-date=August 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830145509/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/history-of-the-quezon-service-cross/ |archive-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref>
*[[File:PHI Order of the Golden Heart var2 Grand Collar BAR.svg|45px]]: [[Order of the Golden Heart]], Grand Collar (''Maringal na Kuwintas'') - posthumous (March 17, 1958)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1958/03/31/presidents-month-in-review-march-16-march-31-1958/|title=President's Month in Review: March 16 – March 31, 1958|newspaper=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/roster-recipients-presidential-awards-ph|title=Roster of Recipients of Presidential Awards
 |access-date=July 11, 2022 |url-status= }}</ref>

'''Military Medals (Foreign)'''
*{{flag|United States}}:[[File:US Legion of Merit Commander ribbon.png|60 px]]: Commander, [[Legion of Merit]] (June 30, 1952)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ramon Magsaysay|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-400389/|website=Hall of Valor: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, U.S. Military Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2025-05-23}}</ref>

'''Foreign Honors'''
*{{flag|Thailand}}: Knight Grand Cordon(Special Class) of The Most Exalted [[Order of the White Elephant]] (April 1955)<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Month in Review: April 1955 |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1955/04/01/official-month-in-review-april-1955/ |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines |access-date=August 25, 2020 |date=April 1, 1955 |quote=In the afternoon the President received the decoration of the Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, the highest decoration conferred by the government of Thailand.}}</ref>
*{{flag|Cambodia }}: Grand Cross of the [[Royal Order of Cambodia]] (January 1956)<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Month in Review: February 1956 |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/02/01/official-month-in-review-february-1956/ |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines |access-date=August 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825161252/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1956/02/01/official-month-in-review-february-1956/ |archive-date=August 25, 2020 |date=February 1, 1956 |quote=The Prince presented the President with the Grand Croix de l’Ordre Royal du Cambodge, Cambodia’s highest decoration for a foreign chief of state.}}</ref>

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|title=Ancestors of Ramon Magsaysay
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; 
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; 
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; 
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; 
|1. Ramon Magsaysay
|2. Ezequiel Magsaysay
|3. Perfecta del Fierro
|4. Domingo Mauricio Magsaysay
|5. Ambrosía de los Santos
|6. Juan Crisóstomo del Fierro
|7. María Quimson
|8. Gregorio Magsaysay
|9. Sotera Gatpandan
|10. Quintín Marcos de los Santos
|11. Paulina Martínez de Toledo
|12. Serafín del Fierro
|
|
|
}}

==See also==
* [[President of the Philippines]]
* [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]]
* [[Ramon Magsaysay, Jr.]]

==Further reading==
* Cullather, Nick (1993). "[[doi:10.2307/3640933|America's Boy? Ramon Magsaysay and the Illusion of Influence]]". ''Pacific Historical Review''. '''62''' (3): 305–338.
* Fifield, Russell H. (1954). "[[doi:10.2307/20031082|The Challenge to Magsaysay]]". ''Foreign Affairs''. '''33''' (1): 149–154.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikisource|works=or}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://malacanang.gov.ph/presidents/third-republic/ramon-magsaysay/ Ramon Magsaysay on the Presidential Museum and Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514111050/http://malacanang.gov.ph/presidents/third-republic/ramon-magsaysay/ |date=May 14, 2016 }}
* [https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/magsaysay/ Ramon Magsaysay on the Official Gazette]
* [http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=ascead&cc=ascead&rgn=main&view=text&didno=US-PPiU-ais200904 Stanley J. Rainka Papers Finding Aid], 1945–1946, AIS.2009.04, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh. (Correspondence with Ramon Magsaysay)
* [https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2022/01/21/did-the-cia-use-pop-music-to-help-elect-president-of-the-philippines/ "Did the CIA use pop music to help elect president of the Philippines?" by Robert Tollast, The National News, Jan 21, 2022]

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{{s-bef|before=Valentin Afable}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|House of Representatives]] from [[Zambales]]'s [[Zambales's at-large congressional district|at-large]] district|years=1946–1950}}
{{s-aft|after=Enrique Corpus}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Elpidio Quirino]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[President of the Philippines]]|years=1953–1957}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Carlos P. Garcia]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Ruperto Kangleon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Department of National Defense (Philippines)|Secretary of National Defense]]|years=1950–1953}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Oscar Castelo]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Oscar Castelo]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Department of National Defense (Philippines)|Secretary of National Defense]]|years=1954}}
{{s-aft|after=Sotero Cabahug}}
|-
{{S-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[José P. Laurel]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Nacionalista Party|Nacionalista]] nominee for President of the Philippines|years=[[1953 Philippine presidential election|1953]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Carlos P. Garcia]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Articles related to Ramon Magsaysay
|list1=
{{Philippine presidents}}
{{PhilPres}}
{{QSC Recipients}}
{{Magsaysay cabinet}}
{{Candidates in the Philippine presidential election, 1953}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magsaysay, Ramon}}
[[Category:Ramon Magsaysay| ]]
[[Category:1907 births]]
[[Category:1957 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at the Manila North Cemetery]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1953 Philippine presidential election]]
[[Category:Filipino anti-communists]]
[[Category:20th-century Filipino engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Filipino Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Governors of Zambales]]
[[Category:Ilocano people]]
[[Category:José Rizal University alumni]]
[[Category:Magsaysay family|Ramon]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Zambales]]
[[Category:Nacionalista Party politicians]]
[[Category:Filipino paramilitary personnel]]
[[Category:People from Zambales]]
[[Category:Filipino politicians of Spanish descent]]
[[Category:Filipino people of Kapampangan descent]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Philippines]]
[[Category:People of the Cold War]]
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[[Category:Recipients of the Quezon Service Cross]]
[[Category:Secretaries of national defense of the Philippines]]
[[Category:State leaders killed in aviation accidents or incidents]]
[[Category:Tagalog people]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1957]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Filipino politicians of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Filipino military personnel of World War II]]