Integrity, honesty, hard work as legacies

A member of the third generation of the Magsaysay brood of the popular President Ramon Magsaysay Sr. has said the younger generation has been nurturing the legacies of integrity, honesty, and hard work that his grandfather and father, Ramon Jr. imparted to the country.

"My father would always tell me when I was younger that no matter how much money you have, you cannot buy the trust of the people and your integrity. Once lost, then you cannot bring it back. That's why we treat our dad as our role model because I never saw my grandfather at my early age," shared Paco Magsaysay, president and CEO of Asian Vision, during his guest appearance at the DAILY TRIBUNE's digital show Straight Talk on Wednesday.

"He is a guerilla and lived a hard life. When he sees people not doing their work and taking advantage of those who have less in life, he gets mad, as he feels that those who have less in life should be protected than those who are more well off. That is why he was hailed as the 'President of the Masses' during his time," Paco stated.

Political golden era

"For what he did, it was a golden time for the Philippines," Paco added.

President Magsaysay, the country's seventh President, was best known in the country for successfully defeating the communist-led Hukbalahap movement.

He then became President in 1953 at the age of 46, with his presidency focused on agrarian reform, among other monumental reforms, making him beloved by farmers.

But his term ended abruptly when the presidential plane "Mt. Pinatubo" crashed in Mount Manunggal in Balamban, Cebu on 17 March 1957, killing him.

Magsaysay Jr., the father of Paco, inherited the former President's sense of compassion for the common 'tao'.

His Senate peers believe that Jun Magsaysay, more than being the son of the country's most loved president, is a self-made man.

With President Magsaysay's sudden death, the 18-year-old Jun inherited greater responsibilities that enabled him to recognize the value of perseverance and hard work.

The late President was known for the saying "Those who have less in life should have more in law," which became his grassroots slogan and the hallmark of the Magsaysay administration in the 1950s.

It was the same statement Jun Magsaysay put to heart as he believes that to implement genuine public service, it has to be oriented towards bravely fighting for people's rights to achieve humane and moral leadership.