Mayor Rama offers to build park as gift at Mt. Manunggal

CEBU, Philippines — As his “gift to Balamban and the Cebuanos,” Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama offers to build a park in Mount Manunggal in honor of the late President Ramon Magsaysay who died after his plane crashed in the area on March 17, 1957.

Rama announced his plan during the commemoration of Magsaysay’s death anniversary at the Plaza Independencia last Sunday.

“(City Councilor) Jun Alcover, we must have a part that the City Government will help Balamban, and if the Governor wants to help, we should receive it,” Rama said.

The mayor tasked Vice Mayor Raymond Garcia to bring up the idea before his aunt, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

“We must have a Ramon Magsaysay Park—helped by the (Cebu) City Government, our gift to Balamban, and our gift to whole Cebuanos,” Rama said.

Rama disclosed that he already had initially discussions with the Binghays of Balamban about his plan.

During the commemoration event last Sunday, Rama said the unfortunate incident 67 years ago was also painful for him and the Rama family as two of his uncles—Jesus and Cesar—were among the fatalities.

According to Rama, his uncle Jesus was identified thru his watch. Vice Mayor Garcia also stressed the importance of honoring Magsaysay being one of the most loved public officials in the country.

“We, us, in the community, should always honor and celebrate the lives of exemplary individuals, despite them having left this world already. One such individual who is worth celebrating is Ramon Magsaysay,” said Garcia, who chairs the city’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission.

“His brand of leadership restored the people’s trust in the military and the government. Unfortunately, his term was short-lived as his airplane crashed,” added Garcia.

Magsaysay was on his way back to Manila after a series of speaking engagements in Cebu City when his C-47 presidential plane crashed on the slopes of Mount Manunggal in Balamban at dawn of March 17, 1957.

His plane took off from then Lahug Airport in Cebu City for Nichols Field near Manila but the former president did not make it there. — (FREEMAN)