The 67th anniversary of the plane crash of President Magsaysay will be commemorated with a book launch of the new edition "One Came Back: The Magsaysay Tragedy." Co-authored by Nestor Mata and Vicente Villafranca, the book provides a firsthand account of the fateful incident.
The event, which will be held on March 18, is hosted by the University Santo Tomas (UST) Miguel de Benavides Library in collaboration with the family of the late Nestor Mata.
The Magsaysay plane crash, a historical event that shook the nation, occurred on March 17, 1957. The presidential plane, a C-47 army aircraft named "Mt. Pinatubo" crashed into Mt. Manunggal in Barangay Sunog, Balamban town. This incident claimed the life of President Magsaysay and several others on board.
A moment of tension arose during the airport check-in when Luis Esmero, a Malacañang technical assistant, offered to take the President's place on the manifest. However, President Magsaysay declined the offer.
Inside the aircraft, Nestor Mata, a Philippines Herald reporter and co-author of the book, noticed the absence of air conditioning, which the President had removed to avoid criticism.
At 1:15 a.m. on March 17, the plane took off, but the smooth flight quickly turned into a horrifying incident. Witnesses described a sudden, jolting fall, likened to "a thousand lights blinking out at the same time."
Nestor Mata, the sole survivor, shared his harrowing experiences in "One Came Back," offering readers a firsthand account of the final moments of President Magsaysay.
Mata, an alumnus of UST, had contributed to the university as an educator in Political Science, Journalism, and Foreign Relations.
The new edition of the book, published by Art Angel Commercial Quests, Inc., will be available for purchase during the event.
The event will be a poignant tribute to President Ramon Magsaysay and a commemoration of the lives lost in the Magsaysay plane crash.