Ramon Magsaysay

He married Luz Magsaysay On June 16, 1933 and they had three children - Teresita Banzon-Magsaysay, Milagros Banzon-Magsaysay, and Ramon Banzon-Magsaysay, Jr.

On March 16, 1957, while coming back from Cebu City to Manila, Magsaysay died when the presidential plane crashed on Mt. Manunggal in Cebu.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award, established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to continue Ramon Magsaysay's exemplary integrity in governance, brave service to the nation, and realistic idealism in a democratic society.

Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay was born in Iba, Zambales, Philippine Islands, on August 31, 1907 to Exequiel Magsaysay y de los Santos, a blacksmith, and Perfecta del Fierro y Quimson, a schoolteacher.

He attended high school at Zambales Academy in San Narciso, Zambale and entered the University of the Philippines in 1927, to study a pre-medical course.

From 1928 to 1932, he studied at the Institute of Commerce at José Rizal College, where he received a baccalaureate in commerce.

Ramsaysay worked as an automobile mechanic in a bus company in Florida and shop superintendent to support himself.

After the World War II broke out, he joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the Philippines Army.

In 1942, he had to stay in hiding from the Japanese forces. During this time, he organized the Western Luzon Guerrilla Forces, and was elected captain on April 5, 1942.

He acted as a supply officer in Col. Merrill's famed guerrilla outfit and later as commander of a 10,000 strong force. Magsaysay was among those active in clearing the Zambales coast of the Japanese before the landing of American forces in 1945.

On April 22, 1946, Magsaysay was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives under the banner of the Liberal Party.

In 1948, he was chosen as chairman of the Committee on guerrilla affairs. He went to Washington to ensure that the Philippine veterans are granted rights in the Rogers Veterans Bill.

During Magsaysay’s administration, Philippines became Asia’s second cleanest and well-governed country. His tenure is often referred to as the Philippines' Golden Years.

Magsaysay’s Presidential Complaints and Action Committee heard nearly 60,000 complaints in a year, and settled more than 30,000 through direct action and a little more than 25,000 through government agencies.

Magsaysay established the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) which granted about sixty-five thousand acres to three thousand poor families for settlement purposes.

He also established the Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Financing Administration (ACCFA) to make available rural credits of almost ten million dollars.

Magsaysay initiated the formation of Liberty Wells Association that managed to raise a considerable sum for the construction of artesian wells for the development of agrarian sector.