The 1992 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding

I am indeed honored to be the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding. This award is particularly meaningful for me as I had the privilege of knowing President Magsaysay. Let me just narrate two incidents that show how quickly he acted when projects would help those most in need.

My father approached him with the idea of providing artesian wells for rural areas where safe drinking water was not available. President Magsaysay enthusiastically endorsed the idea and actually transferred some U.S. government assistance funds for these wells. These were then called the "liberty wells." Many friends donated funds for such wells on their birthday or on other occasions when they would have otherwise spent the money for a luxurious dinner.

On another occasion, I brought a director of Carnation, who was interested in setting up a milk plant, to see President Magsaysay. He said, "This will lower the cost of milk and will benefit the masses so you can start building the plant immediately!" Right then and there, he called the Central Bank and gave instructions to get the project going.

President Magsaysay was returning to Manila from Cebu on a Saturday evening to attend a lunch the following day given by Mr. Yulo in Canlubang for Harold Helm, chairman of Chemical Bank. Having been a close friend of the Bank for many years, I was taking Harold Helm to Canlubang on that tragic Sunday morning when the car radio carried the news that the president’s plane was missing. During the very sad lunch, information was received that the president did not survive the crash.

The Philippines lost a great man. But all of us are thankful that the Rockefeller family set up the Ramon Magsaysay Awards to give further meaning to the life of a man who did so much for his country.