Ramon, Anita, shipping lines: Paco explains Magsaysay family tree

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MANILA, Philippines — Did you know that apart from President Ramon Magsaysay, the Magsaysay family also includes the famous painter Anita Magsaysay-Ho; Magsaysay Maritime Company co-founder Ambrosio Magsaysay; Potato Corner founder Jose Magsaysay Jr.; and Carmen’s Best founder Francisco "Paco" Magsaysay, to name a few?

In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com for the recent launch of his new beauty and aesthetics clinic Skin Adept in Capitol Commons in Pasig City, Paco explained how is he related to the late president and other Magsaysays.

“So the late president is the father of my father. So he's my Lolo. So my father is Ramon Magsaysay Jr. So my Lolo was president. My father was senator, and I'm in a derm clinic,” quipped Paco.

“With regards to Potato Corner, si Joe Magsaysay, but in the family, we call him Jojo. His father is actually a younger brother of the president. So Jojo is actually my dad's first cousin. But Jojo is closer to me in age kasi ang laki ng agwat ng tatay niya sa lolo ko, malaki ang age gap nila. So the father of Jojo Magsaysay is one of the younger siblings of the former president. So ‘yung age ni Jojo is closer to me kaya para kaming magpinsan lang, and I I call him Jojo. He's more like a cousin and a friend to me than he is an uncle to me. And, napakalaki ng tulong niya sakin when I was growing Carmen's Best because I would always talk to him, ask him for advice, and, he was always open to talking to me, so talagang saludo ako sa kanya sa tinulong niya sa akin.”

Paco also explained how he is related to the owners of Magsaysay shipping lines and Anita Magsaysay-Ho, one of the Philippines’ most important artists.

“With regards to Magsaysay lines, that's being run by my Tita Doris, Magsaysay-Ho. So ‘yung tatay niya, the whole family, is from Hong Kong. And her mother was my Lola Amelia Magsaysay — the painter. Anita Magsaysay. So, my dad would call her T’ya Amelia. So that's Tita Amelia… But that's Anita Magsaysay Ho, mother ni Doris. And, I remember meeting her, she was a very fine lady, ang bait-bait talaga niya. And, she would give art lessons to people. And, I think she died about seven, eight years ago. But during the latter part of her life, she had problems with her knees. And I would give her my old knee braces; the knee braces I would use for my basketball. So ginagamit niya ‘yung mga knee brace ko tapos I would give it to her. But, super, super bait ni Tiya Amelia. I should have bought her paintings 20 years ago, but, yeah, I wasn't able to buy her paintings. So, I don't have any paintings by Anita Magsaysay. So that's the family side, the Magsaysay side.”

Paco also shared how is he related to the other Magsaysays still in politics.

“The party list representative, si Mila Magsaysay. Aquino-Magsaysay ‘yon. They're from La Union and they are still in politics. Actually, I just met them the past 10 years eh. So we're not very close to them in terms of relation. But they have the Magsaysay name, so we are related.”

Although Paco is the late president’s direct descendant, he has no plans of entering politics.

“I think the dynamics is just different from what I'm accustomed to. My father grew up in Malacañang for four years, and he was always around other politicians when my Lolo was defense secretary under (President Elpidio) Quirino. He was congressman before defense secretary. Then when he was president, he lived in Malacañang. So my father was very much around politics and politicians. And, ako naman hindi naman ako lumaki dito, lumaki ako sa ibang bansa kaya hindi ko nakasanayan ‘yung being around, that type of life or having that type of life. So ‘yung nakasanayan ko naman is being in private life, working. So that's what I'm doing now. I'm doing something that I got used to when I was growing up during my formative years.”