The Magsaysay Era
by Oliver Carlos
In 2016, during one of my visits to my 98-year old grandmother, I asked her an interesting question. Amparo B. Tamolang, or Mamang as we call her was born in 1918. In her long life, she’s an eyewitness to all the Presidents of the Philippines, from Emilio Aguinaldo to Rodrigo Duterte. Although Aguinaldo was President from 1898 to 1901, he was very much visible to the public eye until his death in 1964. Mamang said she was very familiar with old man from Cavite.
So I asked Mamang, “Of all the Presidents you have seen, who’s the greatest of them all?” She was very quick to reply “Magsaysay.”
I was surprised at her answer. I was expecting her to say Fidel Ramos because of her blood relations to the former President. So I asked Mamang, “Why didn’t you say Ramos? Isn’t Fidel your cousin?”
I was even more surprised at her answer to my second question. With all confidence she berated me saying, “Fidel isn’t President! He’s a general!” Then I realized, maybe Mamang’s memory of Philippine history must have halted sometime in the early 1980s, when they migrated to Canada. Besides, she’s almost 100 years old and it’s quite hard to think about such stuff at that age.
Going back to Magsaysay, I heard many old folks talk highly about the President who was dubbed as “The Man of the Masses.” He rose from the blue collar ranks, from being a mechanic and bus driver, to the highest office in the land. It was said that he went around without a bodyguard because he had no enemies. He also opened Malacanang Palace to the people. His administration focused on rural development, reaching out to the poor in the country-sides. Everybody loved Magsaysay. Too bad he died a sudden death when his Presidential plane crashed on March 17, 1957. There was great mourning afterwards as the nation just lost a great leader.
In my history classes, I always point out 2 great feats of the Ramon Magsaysay administration that we still feel today. First is the Filipino lyrics of our national anthem. Before Magsaysay’s time, we were singing it in a different tongue. The lyrics of the national anthem was originally in Spanish. When the Americans established their colonial government here, we sang it in English. When we became an independent nation beginning 1946, we still sang it in English. Thus, when Magsaysay became President, he commissioned its translation to our native tongue. So today, we’re singing the Lupang Hinirang. Magsaysay must have wanted us to sing a song that we understood fully well so we can sing it passionately from the heart.
Second, it was during Magsaysay’s term that the Rizal Law was made. RA 1425 provided for the compulsory study of the life and works of Jose Rizal in all tertiary schools. The lawmakers who authored and sponsored this law wanted us to remember the national hero so we can be inspired to contribute in nation-building. Magsaysay was all-out supportive to this. Looking at these 2 accomplishments, I wonder why such a great patriotic leader isn’t on any Philippine bill or coin?
Browsing thru the Bible, one would easily spot that King David was Israel’s greatest king. Aside from bringing his nation to greatness, he also brought the people’s hearts closer to God. David wrote songs, called psalms, and he commanded the director of music to teach the songs to the people in their temple worship. This sounds similar to our experience in the 1950s when we as a nation first tried to sing the Lupang Hinirang as ordered by the President. Of the 150 psalms, more than 40 begin with the phrase, “For the director of music.” Here’s a sample:
“For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
I love you, Lord, my strength.” (Psalm 18, intro and verse 1, NIV)
The lifestyle that David had for himself and wanted to teach to the people is simple. He looks daily at God’s love and faithfulness to him; then he gives back praise to God by singing what’s in his heart.
Why don’t you try building that habit beginning today? Revisit the past and reminisce the times God answered your prayers. Then sing or hum a Christian song that fits your experience.
