HR501A
Achievements of the following Administration:
The Magsaysay Administration
There was notable economic progress under the Quirino Administration. The country had also strengthened its diplomatic relations with other countries. The Huk movement was on the decline. Despite these achievements, however, graft and corruption remained a problem. President Quirino ran for reelection on November 8, 1953. He lost to Ramon Magsaysay, his former Secretary of National Defense. Apparently, his failure to curb graft and corruption prompted the people to vote for a younger and more dynamic president.
President Magsaysay wanted to improve life in the barrio. Thousands of kilometers of feeders roads connecting the barrio was launched to provide potable drinking water for the barrio folks. Irrigation dams and canals were constructed to provide adequate water supply to agricultural lands. School houses and health centers were built to promote the education of the youth and maintain the health of the people.
Ramon Magsaysay was a popular President. He was the idol of the masses, the friend of the common people.l He mingled, talked and ate with the barrio people. He loved to speak the Filipino language and to wear the barong Tagalog even on state functions. So simple were his ways, so honest and sincere were his dealings with the people, so loyal and dedicated were his service to the Filipino people that many shed tears when he died in a plane crash on March 17, 1957 at Mt. Manungal , Cebu.
The Garcia Administration
On March 18, 1957, the day after Magsaysay’s death, Vice President Carlos P. Garcia took his oath as President of the Philippine Republic. He served the unexpired term of his predecessor. In the presidential election of November 12, 1957 Carlos Garcia won over his rivals Jose Yulo, Manuel Manahan, Claro M. Recto and Antonio Quirino. His running mate, Jose B. Laurel, however, lost to Diosdado Macapagal. This was the first time that the