Ramon Magsaysay

“This country [the Philippines] is like a pyramid, like a tower. It is made up of millions of stones... And the foundation stone of this pyramid is the common man.” – Ramon Magsaysay

Philippines is a country that has gone through its nadir and yet to go through its zenith. The country has been led by a number of strong-willed leaders. In my opinion, the leader that has stood out the most is Ramon Magsaysay.  

Ramon Magsaysay is also called “Champion of the Masses”. He is a humble mechanic who became the president of the Philippines. He surely wasn’t perfect for every president’s administration will face countless issues and controversies. One thing for sure is that the greatness he has shown us will always overshadow the mistakes and issues he had encountered during his time.

The president has done barrio-to-barrio campaigns in order to obtain the cognizance of the concerns of the rural folk. He wasn’t one of those people from the government who played deaf to the calls of those in need. He was a selfless leader who gave land to the landless. He has done this through the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration.

He acted as the voice of those who didn’t have to voice to speak out for their concerns. After hearing such concerns, he immediately takes action by implementing several projects for the poor. He is also the one who gave freedom to choose the system of tenancy under which they would want to work, which is done through the Agricultural Tenancy Act in 1954 and the Land Reform Act of 1955.

Sincerely proving that he could uplift the lives of those who are in need, Ramon Magsaysay has truly won the hearts and trust of the Filipinos.

The usual scene you will see in the Malacanang Palace during his term would be a lot of the citizens. Some even called it a “miniature Divisoria” due to the flock of people in the place. He has created a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Ramon is a genuine pro-Filipino, he wore a barong tagalog in his inauguration. He would simply use basi (Ilocano wine) to drink with the foreign diplomats.