Vanguard of Asia’s development aspirations
MOVED by the tragic loss of President Ramon Magsaysay, the “idol of the masses,” to a plane crash in 1957, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund set up a foundation later that year to perpetuate the memory of the beloved Filipino leader. The Fund holds an annual search for outstanding men, women disadvantaged members of their societies.
Sixty years later, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is considered Asia’s highest honor—the region’s version of the Nobel— honoring individuals and organizations “in celebration of the greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia.” Awardees are chosen for their role in helping address or even eradicating the most pressing societal and developmental problems in the vast continent.
Philippines, Taiwan and Sri Lanka. In six decades, the foundation has awarded 324 such individuals in honor of Magsaysay, the seventh Filipino president whose motto, “Those who have less in life should have more in law,” continues to resonate in today’s continuing quest for social justice.
The awards, overseen by a board of trustees composed of prominent Filipinos and Asians, used to be given in categories such as government service; public service; community leadership; journalism, literature, and creative communication arts; and peace and international understanding.
Today, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is more of an award for nation-building, development work, public service, community organizing, the promotion of cultural dialogue and peace, and similar laudable endeavors.
The 2018 roster of awardees, to be recognized in ceremonies in Manila on August 31, is composed of six individuals from six different countries, described by the foundation’s president, Carmencita Abella, as “clearly Asia’s heroes of hope, moving their societies forward through their unequivocal pursuit of the larger good.”
For instance, Youk Chhang of Cambodia has dedicated his life to preserving the memory of the Cambodian genocide, “transforming the memory of horror into a process of attaining and preserving justice in his nation and the world.”
East Timor’s Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz uplifted the poor people of the former Portuguese outpost by encouraging the Timorese to be self-reliant, caring citizens as they rebuilt
Civic leader Howard Dee was cited for “his quietly heroic halfcentury of service to the Filipino people, his abiding dedication to the pursuit of social justice and peace in achieving dignity and progress for the poor, and his being, by his deeds, a true servant of his Faith and an exemplary citizen of his nation.”
the human dignity of even the most ostracized in our midst.”
Vietnam’s Vo Thi Hoang Yen is a creative, charismatic leader among fellow persons with disabilities who spearheaded a “sustained campaign to break down physical and mental barriers that have marginalized PWDs in Vietnam.”
Finally, Sonam Wangchuk of India instituted learning systems in remote northern parts of his country, improving the lot of Ladakhi youth and “setting an example for minority peoples in the world” for constructive engagement.
At 60, the Ramon Magsaysay Award continues to inspire meaningful change amid almost insurmountable challenges and crushing poverty and hopelessness. By honoring individuals who have taken up this cause, the Ramon Magsaysay Award itself deserves an accolade for becoming the vanguard of Asia’s development aspirations.
TheManilaTimes congratulates this year’s Magsaysay laureates. May their noble tribes increase.