Aquino cites selfless service of Magsaysay awardees
The five distinguished recipients of the 2015 Ramon Magsaysay Award should be considered modern-day heroes for showing the same selfless service of the late Filipino leader to the common man, President Aquino said yesterday.
The President paid tribute to the Magsaysay Award winners from various countries during a ceremony held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City yesterday.
This year’s recipients of Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize are Kommaly Chanthavong (Laos), Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa (Philippines), Anshu Gupta (India), Kyaw Thu (Myanmar), and Sanjiv Chaturvedi (India).
“In many ways, you are like the heroes that many of my countrymen remember on this day: those who struggled and endured hardship for a greater cause. It is only right that we are paying tribute to
all of you on this occasion,” the President said in his speech.
“You are the modern-day heroes that not only Filipinos, but all men and women all over the world need,” he added.
The President said the Magsaysay awardees have transcended individual perspective, chosen to leave their comfort zones, and answer the call to serve more people.
He said they faced formidable opponents, from corrupt employees and officials in government, to the phenomenon of widespread poverty and inequality, and even to the way that time erodes most valuable traditions. “But you were not daunted; you have persevered, and continued to persevere, in order to protect justice, basic human rights, and our cultural heritage,” he said.
Aquino first praised Gupta for his creative vision in using cloth as a sustainable development resource to combat extreme poverty and vulnerability in his home country, India.
“Realizing its intrinsic value for survival and human dignity, Mr. Gupta left a lucrative job and founded Goonj, an organization focused on empowering those at the margins through the redistribution and processing of cloth to fit all kinds of needs. Working in 21 of India’s states, Goonj has now helped a vast number of Indians to take stock of their own lives through the various initiatives under its Cloth for Work program,” Aquino said.
He also lauded Chanthavong from Laos who used her love for silk-weaving into the Phontong Handicraft Cooperative covering 35 villages to create livelihood for the poor.
“Today, the Lao Sericulture Company manages Ms. Chanthavong’s many initiatives: from the Mulberries Organic Silk Farm, to Camacrafts, which markets handicrafts, and even to Mulberries, which initiates livelihood projects from traditional arts and crafts. All these provided thousands of Laotians with dignified livelihoods, while preserving and honoring ancient cultural traditions,” he said.
Aquino also hailed fellow Filipino, Amilbangsa, for her crusade to preserve and teach the dance style, pangalay, from the southernmost part of the country.
“Mrs. Fernando-Amilbangsa refused to let this tradition be forgotten, believing that it is not only a unique manifestation of our people’s culture, but that it also links us to our brothers and sisters in Southeast Asia. In the face of indifference or perhaps even scorn, she persevered and even modernized the dance – ensuring that the tradition of pangalay becomes a living embodiment of Filipino progress,” he said.
Aquino also recognized Thu, an esteemed actor of Myanmar, who has chosen to make his mark beyond the silver screen, and work with the marginalized. The also founded a society to help the poor bury their dead in accordance with the proper Buddhist burial rites. “Since then, their work has expanded to cover almost every aspect of life, including medical assistance, vocational training, and humanitarian assistance to victims of conflict and calamities,” Aquino said.
Aquino also commended Chaturvedi who has dedicated his life to fighting corruption in government. “Mr. Chaturvedi does not only strive to uncover wrongdoing, he also works to institute policies that ensure the transparency and accountability of systems and to implement meaningful projects. Despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges before him, he continues to work towards lasting reform,” he said.
Aquino said none of the awardees embarked on their journeys out of desire for fame or fortune. None of them also decided to take these responsibilities because they were simple and easy. “Real transformation requires real backbreaking effort and this is what you gave willingly,” Aquino said.