Feature:

President Manuel A. Roxas
and his bewildering smile

By Pepin

Everyday you see his face in your one hundred peso bill, but he is not just there for any reason. This brave son of Capiz has contributed his wisdom and life for the glory of the Philippines.

Elected as the fifth president of the country (the last president of the commonwealth system and the first president of the Third Republic), Manuel Acuña Roxas faced a lot more tasks than what his office holds for him. He led the country towards a new hope as the pains of the Second World War were yet to be mended. Many Filipinos were expecting a lot from him, and in some point, he never failed them.

His administration functioned with a big budget deficit, but he was able to reconstruct schools and reprocessed the industries that were scratched during the battle. He went to the United States to ask for the country’s independence from their rule, and he succeeded on his quest. He also brought two important laws approved by the US congress when he went back home, and these are the Philippine Trade Act (Bell Trade Act) and the Philippine Rehabilitation Act.

He died from heart attack after he gave a speech at the Clark Air Force Base in April 15, 1948.

He may have shed blood as a soldier during the war, became a nation builder throughout his public life, challenged himself to become a master lawmaker, and survived a lot of controversies during his term; President Manuel Roxas will always be a hero who continues to inspire this generation and the more to come.

So be thankful because this guy that smiles mysteriously on your one hundred peso bill has served the country to the best of his abilities.