Chapter 4 – Luz Banzon Magsaysay

Chapter 4

Married life

The Ramon Magsaysay-Luz Banzon courtship lasted for two years, from 1931  until 1933. On June 10, 1933, Ramon and Luz were married at the Lourdes Church of the Capuchin Order located inside the walls of Intramuros. (The church would be the scene of torture, bloodshed and destruction during the Japanese Occupation, less than nine years later. The church would be razed to the ground during the siege of Manila, never to be reconstructed.)

Ramon was almost twenty-six years old at the time of the wedding and Luz would be nineteen a month later.

Bataan Governor Sabino de Leon (1931-1934), Balanga Mayor Venancio Banzon and Don Teodoro R. Yangco of the TRY-TRAN Bus Company were the principal sponsors.

Luz Banzon’s marriage to Ramon Magsaysay was the culmination of a story-book romance. Her life in Bataan before World War II was quiet, easy-paced and uneventful. At age 18, after finishing high school in 1932, she became the wife of a tall and industrious man from Zambales.

Normal life

As husband, Ramon was quite conventional by provincial standards about the honeymoon. The more serious side of his ambivalent nature prevailed as he took his wife to his newly-rented house in Singalong straight from the reception at the Manila Hotel. The very next Monday, he was already back in his work at the TRY-TRANS garage.

The abrupt return to “normal life” was Ramon’s way of telling her bride how serious he would be as husband and breadwinner. Actually he had grown up to be a rather senstive and demonstrative person. His expressive face and frail, lanky body seemed to lend themselves to his emotional nature.

Ramon was happy and well-assured that he could support his young wife solely on his own earnings and savings. It was no mean feat that at the time of their wedding, he rented half of a duplex apartment in Singalong, and provided his young bride with home furnitures, refrigerator, radio, and a phonograph. He still had his serviceable second-hand car, an uncommon luxury in prewar days. To help in the housekeeping, he hired a boy who did some of the marketing, cleaning and laundry.

Luz’ diligent budgeting during the first year of marriage meanwhile, showed the progressive adequacy of her husband’s monthly pay of P180, actually a decent wage considering the purchasing power of the peso at that time. Even with extra money to spend, they saved it for future expenses. They both wore simple clothes and rarely went to parties, assuring them a generous diet every day.

Lucila, the mother of Luz, luckily taught her daughter how to turn the collar of old shirts and to patch them and darn his clothes until they cannot be used any longer. At times, when Ramon’s income proved inadequate, Luz would secretly get small amounts from Jose Mameng, her obliging father.

From her visiting mother-in-law Perfecta, Luz also learned to cook adobo, asado de carajay, puchero, sinigang, pakbet, malunggay with chicken and murang papaya “lutong Ilocano.” The last two, and Chinese dishes were Ramon’s favorite viands.

The couple’s finances gradually improved when Monching’s salary was raised to P250. Their first two children, Teresita (1934) and Milagros (1936) had already been born. The household also got bigger after some relatives, both from Zambales and Balanga, had joined them in their apartment in Singalong.

Between 1934 and 1937, Ramon became quite busy and more responsible with an additional assignment — the maintenance of the Midget Taxicabs, garage cars and auto-calesas newly acquired by the TRY-TRAN.  His paycheck increased further after Don Ramon Corpuz saw Monching’s ability, honesty and industry in his job. Don Ramon also knew that his “nephew” had steadfast resistance to temptations to make extra money through “kickbacks” from suppliers and agents.

He really admired Ramon for helping TRY-TRAN save on spare parts and fuel and make fuller use of the buses through better scheduling of trips. Ramon also introduced numerous innovations to improve efficiency so Don Ramon knew that the marked increase in profits of the company was due in no small degree to Ramon’s contribution to the enterprise.

Ramon was also the one who broached to Don Ramon Corpuz the idea of organizing the TRY-TRAN Employees Union and the enforcement of the eight-hour labor law which were already being implemented by the Pampanga Bus Company (PAMBUSCO), a rival transport company of TRY-TRAN in Central Luzon. In later years, Ramon would be very involved in the company’s labor disputes.

With some savings and credit at Yangco’s El Bazar Siglo XX, the Magsaysays were able to build an P8,000 home on Arellano Street in 1937.

Magsaysay children

The first baby of Ramon and Luz was Teresita. She was born on May 29, 1934, or 12 months after the wedding of her parents. She grew up a fragile and sickly girl in spite of the anxious but full attention she enjoyed as the first born.

Milagros, unlike her elder sister, was robust when she was born on November 14, 1936. Her father, whom she resembled remarkably, called her “Aging” (pronounced “Ah-jing”), a nickname which stuck among the family and close friends. Later on, she would be known simply as “Mila.” It was no accident that she was healthy from birth. Her father’s own health also began to improve a year after Teresita came.

The third child was a boy: Ramon Jr. Born in Manila on June 5, 1938, the only boy in the family was nicknamed “Junior,” then shortened to “Jun.” Ramon Sr. really longed for a son although the coming of Teresita and Mila were tenderly welcomed by him. His long wait ended four years later with the birth of Ramon Jr.

Family life

Within six years, the Magsaysay household moved from Singalong to Sandejas and then to Dominga Street, all in the same district. The household also grew with the coming of Ramon’s younger brothers (Jesus and Genaro) and sister (Conchita) from Castillejos, Zambales. For a while, the whole clan lived in the house on Sandejas which their parent Exequiel and Perfecta bought in 1936. Thus, Luz and the growing children were rarely alone despite Ramon’s long hours at the TRY-TRANS shop.

Luz became a full-fledged housewife by necessity. It was alright because it was unfashionable during that period for married women to be working. She would always affectionately remind her husband of a pre-marital hyperbole: “Before we got married, you said tuyo (salted fish) and asin (salt) would be enough. Now, you’re asking for dulce (sweets) already.” She would say this over and over again because they ate out quite often in Ramon’s favorite Chinese restaurant in Sta. Cruz.

Ramon found his settled life with Luz agreeable. After Mila’s birth, he became stouter and his colds bothered him less. Life also seemed a harmonious blend, whose main elements were Luz and the children, the engrossing work at the TRY-TRANS, good food, some relaxation, a sense of personal success amidst the normal trials of a struggling man, and the satisfaction of fulfilling his duties as the eldest brother as well.

Through his wife’s influence, Ramon also became religious. He even formed the habit of dropping by town churches for a short prayer during his TRY-TRAN inspection trips. He also had no use for the prevailing double standard of morality.

Ramon and Luz seldom socialized outside the clan. For recreations, they watched basketball games at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum and action movies downtown. Some Sundays and free hours were spent with the children at the Luneta where they strolled, sat on the boulders to enjoy the sea breeze, or listened to the regular concerts of the Philippine Constabulary band every weekends.

At the movies, Luz would merely endure the inevitable brawls and killings as she waited for the more touching interludes. But Ramon usually lost himself in childlike enjoyment that explains why he preferred the second-run cinemas where he would sit in the rear-most row, feet up, and egging on the characters on the screen now and then.

At home, they played ping-pong or listened over the radio. The radio phonograph also provided professional music for the family. Strictly for their amusement, Ramon would sing, sometimes as second voice to Luz. Their favorite songs were “Goodnight Sweetheart,” “Darling, I Am Growing Old,” “In The Middle of the Night” and Ramon’s personal choice, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Milagros, the second child, sang beautifully too.

On Sundays, Ramon spent his leisure time at home, reading newspapers and the weekend magazine. Ramon and Luz often drove to Balanga or Castillejos to see the folks and shot birds along the way. These became monthly excursions, and Luz looked forward to these provincial outings as exhilarating and a much-needed break from their domestic routine.

As a husband, .Monching became gentler, more mature and responsible. It was not surprising that he was also able to portray the role of a doting father to his three children.

Luz Magsaysay also disclosed that her husband was a “hands-on” father. He would play with his children, attend to their needs and, if possible, would not allow his children to do household chores, most particularly Teresita who was sickly most of the time.

If his schedule would permit, Monching would take his wife and children to Luneta and then bring them to a downtown restaurant to eat Chinese food. These were the simple joys of the Magsaysay family not known to all.

Just like other wives, Mrs. Magsaysay admitted that her Monching was very particular on how she dresses, especially on important events and occasions. He would tell her frankly if her hairdo does not actually look good or if a dress does not fit her the way he likes.

Luz also shared that she and Ramon also had their own share of marital problems and quarrels but passed all of them with “flying colors, resulting to greater fondness and love for each other.”She elaborated that the two of them were very, very close and he would tell her all his problems and ask for her counsels.

Politics

The progress of events in the 1930’s was climactic. The election of Senator Manuel L. Quezon in 1935 was peripheral to Ramon Magsaysay’s life. He was 28 years old when the Philippine Commonwealth was inaugurated but he did not attend the solemn and colorful ceremonies on that official holiday. Understandably, his concern over public affairs did not go beyond the sporadic expression of opinion to his fellow workers at TRY-TRN. He also went home regularly to Zambales during election day to vote for his candidates. Sometimes he went to Balanga if Luz asked her to.

However, Ramon took sides especially in elections for the representatives of the province to the legislature. He talked about politics but did not attempt to influence voters. It was  only in 1938 that he actually participated as a sort of leader of congressional candidate named Don Jose “Pepito” Corpuz, the uncle of his boss, Don Ramon Corpuz. He campaigned mostly by exerting his personal influence on relatives, friends and acquaintances in Zambales whom he happened to meet.

Magsaysay’s politicking in Zambales was largely an act of personal preference and kinship obligation, not a sign of any aspiration for public office. His only dream during this period was to operate his own transportation business. There were times when he felt that there were too many Corpuzes bossing him around at TRY-TRAN. He also regretted the fact that the Banzons of Balanga had already sold their small transportation company to TRY-TRAN before he met the former Luz Banzon.

There was also a time when he went into the mining business. But the concession in Zambales which he had obtained from the provincial government did not prosper partly because he had lost interest in it.

He did agree to study Law when his father in-law, Jose P. Banzon, urged him to. But again, future politics was not one of his motives. He merely realized the advantages of being a lawyer as he observed two young lawyers, Enrique Corpuz and Protacio Amonoy, confidently handled the legal affairs of the Yangco enterprises.

Yangco’s demise

Don Teodoro R. Yangco’s death in April 1939 started a chain of reaction in the administration of his estate, valued at more than three million pesos. His half brothers and sisters, the Corpuzes, became his principal heirs.

Don Rafael Corpuz became the administrator of the Yangco estate. Don Ramon got to manage the Bazaar Siglo XX, while Don Jose “Pepito” Corpuz took over the TRY-TRAN management.

In August 1939, Don Pepito appointed Ramon Magsaysay as TRY-TRAN branch manager in San Antonio, Zambales. The former wanted to strengthen the business at that end of the transportation line. Ramon took the job because it meant a hundred peso automatic raise. But it also meant relocating his entire family to the said town which was 14 kilometers away from Castillejos.

Upon arrival in Zambales, the Magsaysays rented a house in the town of San Antonio which was owned by Raymundo Valente, a retired schoolteacher. Under Ramon’s leadership and on Don Pepito’s support, the bus company yielded increasing profit for the transportation company. They started planning for the expansion of the business by replacing old buses with new ones.

Company troubles

Unfortunately, an employee strike hit TRY-TRAN in early 1940. Luckily, the strike was settled amicably by July of the same year. Ramon took the side of the union and even favored the granting of the employee’s demand for sick leaves with pay, passes for rides on TRY-TRAN buses, vale (advances chargeable to salary), and pay increases.

Encouraged by their initial success and prompted by a socialist leader named Guillermo Capadocia, the employees presented a new set of demands to Don Pepito and Ramon Corpuz. They even set a deadline for the granting of their demands under threat of a strike. Magsaysay was alarmed. Earlier, he had supported the union members in their petition for benefits. It was granted. He therefore could not believe that the employees would act so precipitately unless they were being agitated by some radicals. To counteract the strike, Ramon organized an “emergency crew” to keep the buses running.

The employees did not buckle down. They rounded up buses of the company in the north and gathered them in San Fernando, Pampanga. Even the drivers of the Midget Taxicabs joined the strike. There were also resentments thrown against Ramon Magsaysay, like suspending drivers and conductors for minor offenses, dishonesty and other charges difficult to reconcile.

There were rumors, too that a relative of the Corpuzes had instigated the strike so he could replace Ramon as the company’s branch manager in San Antonio bus terminal. The strikers were determined to have their way but the second strike was broken on a legal technicality. Luckily, the workers were allowed to return to work while the case dragged on.

In 1940, Ramon Magsaysay became concurrently acting TRY-TRAN manager after Don Pepito Corpuz was called to active duty as a major in the reserve corps. But Ramon remained in San Antonio, commuting only to Manila to occasionally see Don Rafael Corpuz, the administrator.

Luz, by this time, had all the household help she needed in San Antonio. She went to market daily with her maid to buy the day’s food. The six-year Teresita (Tita) had started schooling in 1940. Milagros and Ramon Jr. continued romping around the house and yard all day. The Magsaysays were all in fine health, but their simple, rustic, and fairly practical life in the province was not meant to last for long.