The Board of Trustees, Officers, and Staff of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and relatives of ROSA ROSAL, 1999 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Public Service. Rosa Rosal passed away on November 15, 2025, at the age of 97 in the Philippines. Her life stands as a testament to devoted public service, compassion, and the transformative power of humanitarian commitment.
Born Florence Lansang Danon, Rosa Rosal first gained public attention as a celebrated actress during the Golden Age of Philippine cinema. Yet it was beyond the silver screen that she made her most enduring impact. For over seven decades, she devoted herself to humanitarian work, particularly with the Philippine Red Cross, pioneering mass blood‑donation campaigns that reached both urban and rural communities. She helped establish regional blood centers, laboratories for safe blood screening, and programs to ensure life-saving services were accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Rosal also harnessed her fame for public good, hosting television programs such as Damayan and Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko, mobilizing support for indigent patients and communities in need. She championed initiatives for unwed and at-risk pregnant women, abandoned children, and other marginalized groups, creating safety nets and amplifying awareness of social issues.
Rosa Rosal received the medallion during the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies held August 31, 1999. Handing the Ramon Magsaysay Award to her is Joseph Ejercito Estrada (center), Philippine President, and Amb. Bienvenido Tan Jr. (right), Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Chairman.
Her selfless service earned her the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1999, Asia’s premier prize and highest honor, for “her lifetime of unstinting voluntary service, inspiring Filipinos to put the needs of others before their own.”
Rosa Rosal’s life reminds us that fame can be a force for good when paired with a heart committed to others—a life where compassion, courage, and action go hand in hand. She will be remembered not only as an icon of Philippine cinema but as a champion for the marginalized, a steadfast humanitarian, and a guiding light for generations to come.