Ramon Magsaysay - Seventh President
Third President of the Third Republic
Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay (August 31, 1907 - March 17, 1957) was
the third President of the Third Republic of the Philippines
from December 30, 1953
until his death in a plane crash in 1957.
He was elected President under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.
In the Election of 1953, Magsaysay was decisively elected president
over the incumbent Elpidio Quirino.
He was sworn into office wearing the Barong Tagalog,
a first by a Philippine president.
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,
which aimed to defeat communist-Marxist movements in South East Asia,
South Asia and the Southwestern Pacific.
During his term, he made Malacalang Palace 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 Philippines 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.
On March 16, 1957 Magsaysay left Manila for Cebu City
where he spoke at three educational institutions.
That same night, at about 1 a.m., he boarded the presidential
plane "Mt. Pinatubo", a C-47, heading back to Manila.
In the early morning hours of March 17, his plane was reported missing.
It was late in the afternoon that day that newspapers reported
that the airplane had crashed (plane crash) on Mt. Manunggal in Cebu
and that 25 of the 26 passengers and crew aboard were killed.
Only newspaperman Nestor Mata survived.
Vice President Carlos P. Garcia,
who was on an official visit to Australia at the time,
assumed the presidency to serve out the last
eight months of Magsaysay's term.