As the world marks International Women’s Day and reflects on this year’s theme, “Give to Gain,” the legacy of the Ramon Magsaysay Award shows that investing in women has always produced enduring gains for families, communities, and entire societies.

From pioneering feminists and legal reformers to educators, community leaders, and social innovators, these Ramon Magsaysay Awardees demonstrate how advancing women’s rights strengthens the social fabric of nations. Notably, this work has been carried forward by both women and men who recognized that empowering women is not solely a women’s issue—it is a societal responsibility.

The following Ramon Magsaysay Awardees illustrate how this commitment has taken shape across Asia over the past 67 years.

In 1961, Thai feminist NILAWAN PINTONG, a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee from Thailand, used journalism as a tool for social change. Through the women’s magazine Satri Sarn, she opened a public space where women—particularly those in rural communities—could encounter new ideas about civic life, education, and participation. Her work expanded into youth publications, news weekly, and radio programming that encouraged broader engagement in public affairs.

More than a decade later, FUSAYE ICHIKAWA, a1974 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee from Japan, helped reshape the political landscape of her country. A central figure in Japan’s women’s suffrage movement, she campaigned tirelessly to secure women’s right to vote and to run for public office. Even after suffrage was achieved, she continued advocating for women’s participation in political leadership, ensuring that the democratic process reflected women’s voices.

Breaking barriers in the legal profession, LEE TAI-YOUNG, a 1975 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee from South Korea, became the country’s first woman lawyer and devoted her career to reforming discriminatory family laws. Through legal advocacy and the establishment of legal aid services for women, she worked to secure equal rights in marriage, inheritance, and child custody—protections that continue to shape Korean society today.

Economic empowerment for women took a transformative turn in 1980s when MUHAMMAD YUNUS, a 1984 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee from Bangladesh, pioneered the concept of microcredit. By extending small, collateral-free loans primarily to poor rural women, he enabled millions to build small enterprises, educate their children, and stabilize their households. His work demonstrated that women are among the most reliable drivers of economic resilience.

In China, 2001 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee WU QING, an educator and legislator, devoted her career to advancing women’s rights through education and policy reform. She introduced one of the country’s earliest university courses on women’s studies and established programs that equipped rural women with literacy, legal awareness, and livelihood skills. By linking grassroots education with legislative advocacy, she strengthened women’s ability to participate fully in civic life.

Across the Philippines, financial inclusion became a powerful pathway for women’s advancement through the work of the CENTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT MUTUALLY REINFORCING INSTITUTIONS (CARD MRI), a 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee. Built on the belief that “nanays” (mothers) are the backbone of families and communities, CARD-MRI developed microfinance programs tailored for women—combining credit, savings, insurance, and training. What began as a modest rural initiative has grown into one of the country’s largest microfinance networks, enabling millions of women to become entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities.

Education also became a powerful equalizer through HASANAIN JUAINI, the 2011 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee from Indonesia. In West Lombok, he established a girls’ Islamic boarding school that integrates religious learning with science, environmental awareness, and life-skills training. In communities where opportunities for girls were often limited, Juaini chose to challenge convention—not by discarding cultural values, but by expanding them to include women’s education and leadership. His work reminds us that advancing women’s rights is not only the work of women; it is a responsibility shared by men who recognize that communities thrive when girls are given the chance to learn and lead.

In Nepal, survivors of human trafficking organized themselves to support others facing the same trauma. Their organization, SHAKTI SAMUHA, a 2013 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, provides shelter, legal assistance, education, and livelihood training for trafficked women and girls. By transforming survivors into advocates and community educators, the group has strengthened both prevention and protection efforts against trafficking.

Education for marginalized children—particularly girls—has been the driving mission of THE CITIZENS FOUNDATION (TCF), a 2014 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee from Pakistan. Through a nationwide network of purpose-built schools in underserved communities, TCF has created learning environments where girls can pursue education safely and confidently. By recruiting female teachers and actively engaging families, the organization has helped shift attitudes toward girls’ education across the country.

Most recently, EDUCATE GIRLS, 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee from India, has worked to close persistent gender gaps in education across rural communities. Through grassroots engagement, mentorship programs, and partnerships with local leaders, the organization has helped enroll and retain hundreds of thousands of girls in school. Their work addresses structural barriers—from poverty to restrictive social norms—while nurturing confidence and leadership among the next generation of women.

Across decades and diverse contexts, these Ramon Magsaysay Awardees demonstrate that empowering women strengthens societies as a whole. Their work affirms a truth long reflected in the Award’s history: when women are given access to education, economic opportunity, justice, and leadership, communities gain stronger foundations, wider opportunities, and more resilient futures.

Since 1958 the Ramon Magsaysay Award has honored individuals and organizations whose leadership embodies this belief—showing that advancing women’s rights is not only a matter of equity, but a foundation for lasting social progress.

The post 67 Years of the Ramon Magsaysay Award: A Look at Its Champions for Women Across Asia appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

With the humility of a teacher and the curiosity of a scientist, Dr. Bernido reminded the graduates that AI, like any human invention, is a double-edged tool. “It’s like knives, dynamites, or nuclear power,” he said. “They can be used to harm or to help. The trick is knowing when AI is useful—and when it is harmful.”

From this premise, he offered six maxims—reflections on the limits of technology and the enduring genius of the human mind.
 

AI harvests both the real and the fake.

AI thrives on data—all kinds of data. It collects the true and the false, the profound and the trivial, the sacred and the absurd. 

In doing so, it blurs the line between fact and fiction, making it harder to tell what’s real from what’s merely well-constructed. Dr. Bernido warned that in a world ruled by algorithms, “to see is to believe” no longer holds true. “Our new mantra,” he said, “should be: What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

This insight, borrowed from The Little Prince, is a call for discernment. In the flood of images, data, and simulations, what matters most can’t be seen on a screen. It is found in reflection, empathy, and lived experience—the things AI cannot generate.

The takeaway: The human task is no longer just to see, but to discern. 

AI’s strength carries its own weakness.

The power of AI lies in its speed and scale—it can process vast amounts of information faster than any human mind.

But this very strength hides a flaw: the more it processes, the more noise and inaccuracy it absorbs. 

AI “hallucinates.” It can overgeneralize, misinterpret, or invent information. As Dr. Bernido explained, even large language models—the engines behind modern AI tools—can produce false scientific conclusions or misleading summaries if not carefully checked.

This is why he emphasized that in the AI age, critical verification is not optional. “The faster AI works,” he said, “the more carefully humans must think.”

The takeaway: Let AI be fast—but let humans be wise.

What you feed AI determines what it becomes.

Unlike humans, AI does not understand context or morality. It simply reflects the data it is trained on.

Garbage in, garbage out—or as Dr. Bernido refined it, “not quite garbage in, garbage out, but the reliability and fidelity of the dataset determine the accuracy of the outcome.” 

A wrong prompt or a biased dataset can lead AI astray, generating entire worlds of distortion. “A wrong prompt,” he warned, “can transport us to a different world.” 

This makes human intention critical. The algorithms we build—and the information we share—shape the world AI will amplify. 

The takeaway: Be mindful of your digital footprint. Every click, post, and prompt contributes to the moral DNA of our machines.

Instant answers weaken curiosity.

AI promises convenience, but it can also make us intellectually lazy.

Why struggle to solve a problem when a chatbot can answer in seconds? Why think deeply when a summary appears instantly?

Dr. Bernido called this the “copy-and-paste culture.” It rewards speed over depth, answers over inquiry.

Citing research from MIT, he explained that students who relied on AI performed worse than those who thought independently—not just in writing, but in neural and cognitive engagement. “AI promotes dependence,” he said. “Our creativity and originality in solving problems are at stake.”

AI should assist, not replace, human reasoning. Learning by doing—through mistakes, experiments, and critical reflection—remains irreplaceable.

The takeaway: Curiosity is a muscle. The less we use it, the weaker it becomes.

AI is fast, but imagination leaps further.

AI runs on code—zeros and ones, bound by physical laws and logic gates.

But the human mind runs on imagination, which defies boundaries. “We can imagine things even if there is still no logical way to achieve them,” Dr. Bernido said.

That ability to envision what does not yet exist—to dream, to hope, to invent—is the essence of human creativity.

While AI can calculate faster, it cannot wonder. It cannot love, fear, aspire, or dream of worlds beyond its programming.

“Our thoughts, our imagination, our intuition, are unconstrained. That is what makes us human. That is what keeps us ahead.” he told the graduates.

The takeaway: Machines simulate intelligence. Humans create it.

Logic has limits; creativity does not.

AI operates strictly by the rules it’s given—it thrives in fixed systems. But when those rules change, it stumbles.

Humans, however, can change the premise. We can invent new frameworks and redefine what is possible. Dr. Bernido called this the “second level of creativity.”

“Humans are adept at creating a new premise or a different set of logical rules,” he said. “That is what it means to think out of the box.”

He illustrated this with the evolution of geometry: when mathematicians broke the rule that parallel lines never meet, they created Riemannian geometry—the foundation of Einstein’s relativity.

Machines obey logic. Humans expand it.

The takeaway: The future belongs not to those who calculate, but to those who imagine beyond the calculation.

 
Dr. Bernido concluded his talk with a thought from A Beautiful Mind, where mathematician John Nash reflects that true logic is ultimately found in love.

For the physicist from Bohol, Philippines, this was not sentimentality but science of the soul. 

True intelligence—whether human or artificial—is incomplete without compassion. 

Logic may drive progress, but love gives it purpose. 

The takeaway: The highest intelligence is empathy.

Fifteen years after receiving the Ramon Magsaysay Award with his wife, Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido for “their purposeful commitment to both science and nation, ensuring innovative, low-cost, and effective basic education even under Philippine conditions of great scarcity and daunting poverty,” Dr. Christopher Bernido continues to teach not just how to think, but how to remain human in an increasingly automated world.

In an age of machines that can mimic language, art, and reasoning, his message rings clear: what makes us human is not our logic, but our imagination, our discernment, and our capacity to love.

“Our thoughts, our imagination, our intuition—these are unconstrained. That is what makes us human. That is what keeps us ahead.”

The post Dr. Christopher Bernido on the Age of AI: Six Maxims for the Human Mind appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

Dr. PRAWASE WASI was a distinguished physician, scholar, and reformer who devoted his life to advancing public health as a moral and social responsibility. Through groundbreaking research, advocacy for community-based health care, and tireless teaching, he strengthened health systems, brought modern medicine to underserved rural communities, and inspired generations of physicians to serve where the need was greatest. His unwavering dedication, transformative leadership, and greatness of spirit left an enduring impact on the health and well-being of countless people across Thailand.

In honoring his legacy, we share a dedication written by Dr. Vichai Chokevivat, co-founder of the RURAL DOCTORS MOVEMENT (RDM), a 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee recognized for its pivotal role in advancing universal health coverage in Thailand. A longtime colleague and fellow advocate for equitable health care, Dr. Chokevivat’s tribute reflects both personal gratitude and the profound influence of Dr. PRAWASE WASI on Thailand’s health reform movement.

Dedication by Dr. Vichai Chokevivat follows.

Ultimately, Professor Prawase Wasi passed away from this world at the age of 93 years, 3 months, and 5 days, on Saturday, 10 January B.E. 2569 (2026), at 8:53 p.m.

Dr. Prawase was truly an illustrious son of the Kingdom of Siam.

Dr. Prawase’s father was a villager in the remote jungle in Kanchanaburi. Dr. Prawase lived through hardship and advanced through the education system, gaining admission to Triam Udom Suksa School. During that time, he had to live, eat, and sleep at Phra Nakhon School of Commerce, using students’ desks lined up together as a bed. Nevertheless, he successfully completed his medical degree , and received the Anandamahidol Scholarship to pursue further studies in the United States and the United Kingdom. While studying in the United States—where Americans are thought to be very diligent in accordance with what is known as a “Protestant work ethic”—the American professor who supervised Dr. Prawase recorded that every morning, when he arrived at his office, he found that Dr. Prawase had already begun working. In the evenings, when returning from work, he would always see the lights still on in Dr. Prawase’s office as the highly motivated student continued working. Upon graduation, most people struggle to have even a single academic article published, but Dr. Prawase had four articles published in leading journals.

After returning to Thailand, he received royal benevolence from His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, who graciously had the Ananda Raj Building constructed to serve as a place for work, research, patient care, and the teaching of medical students and medical residents.

Before long, the Dr. Prawase’s reputation became widely known—for his academic excellence, his dedication and compassionate care of patients, his role as a medical teacher, and his upholding of the honor and dignity of the medical profession. Dr. Prawase was, thus, widely accepted, respected, and revered by faculty members and medical students alike, and was selected to confer degree certificates to His Majesty the King for presentation to graduating medical doctors.

After that, Dr. Prawase began to expand his role beyond that of a medical teacher by initiating reforms of the administrative system at Siriraj Hospital together with several progressive colleagues. He fought corruption, and helped to transform a hospital that had been like a “leaking well in sandy soil,” where donations flowed in from benefactors but which, nonetheless, suffered continuous financial losses, into a profitable institution. Subsequent generations of faculty took this matter seriously, resulting in Siriraj Hospital and Mahidol University becoming among the best-endowed universities in the country.

Dr. Prawase then broadened his efforts to reform medical education and the Thai Medical Council, establishing a system of specialist medical training to address the problem of Thai doctors emigrating abroad to study and practice medicine in wealthier settings. Dr. Prawase’s efforts not only resolved the issue but also enabled Thailand to produce a large number of medical specialists domestically at a cost many times lower than sending them to study overseas.

When the Royal Plaza Hotel building collapsed in Nakhon Ratchasima in 1993, Thai doctors were able to crawl down to amputate the leg of a victim trapped beneath the rubble, while an anesthesiologist administered anesthesia through another tunnel which the patient stuck with face downward. The surgery was successfully performed , and the victim’s life was saved. Even when the amputee went into shock at the mouth of the pit after the operation, the team was able to reverse the shock and transport the patient to Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, and later transfer her for further treatment to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital.

Thailand’s medical and public health system which, at present, has been able to develop into a medical hub generating substantial income for the country, has in part benefited from the system for producing medical specialists that began some 50 years ago.

After the “reform of the medical system,” which included systematic critique of medical ethics through the publication of the article series “Annals of Thai Medical Practice,” Dr. Prawase came to see that the Thai medical system was merely a subsystem of the broader public health bureaucracy. He therefore expanded his role to work with leading public health figures such as Dr. Somboon Watcharothai, Dr. Pairoj Ningsanond, Dr. Amorn Nontasoot, Dr. Banlu Siripanit, and other senior administrators. Through this collaboration, Dr. Prawase learned about the broader world of the public health system, and found that these progressive public health professionals still lacked sufficient barami (moral authority and influence) to effect needed change . It thus became necessary to seek someone with such barami to serve as the “standard-bearer” or leader of the movement. That person was found to be Prof. Dr. Sem Pringpuangkaew who, together with Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram and Luang Nit Vejjavijit, had established provincial hospitals in ever y province and founded many nursing schools, producing nurses who could be deployed nationwide. Dr. Prawase therefore went to invite Dr. Sem to join the “reform movement.”

At the same time, Dr. Prawase authored a foundational text on public health system reform entitled “Public Health for the Masses,” published in B.E. 2518 (1975) as part of the “Love Thailand” series on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the birth of His Serene Highness Prince Worawongthoe, Prince Narathipphongpraphan. It was published alongside another seminal work, Buddhadhamma, by Phra Sri Visuddhimoli, who is now Somdet Phra Buddhaghosacariya (P.A. Payutto).

Dr. Prawase’s entry into the field of public health occurred at the same time as the emergence of the “Rural Doctors Movement.” By this time, everyone in the field held Dr. Prawase in high esteem and affection for his intellect, knowledge, capability, and his exceptionally high moral and ethical virtues. Dr. Prawase’s barami played a crucial role in enabling senior officials in the Ministry of Public Health to better understand and trust young, highly driven professionals—many of whom were outspoken and intense in both words and demeanor, to the extent of being labeled “rebels” or “troublemakers.” As a result, people of different generations and differing perspectives were able to unite and work together, leading to comprehensive public health system reform. This gave rise to the district hospital development program; the construction of district hospitals in every district; the establishment of health centers in every sub-district; anti-smoking campaigns; the National Health Security system; the Thai Health Promotion Foundation; the National Institute for Emergency Medicine; the National Health Commission Office; the Healthcare Accreditation Institute; and many other initiatives.

The reform of the public health system—which later expanded into reform of the broader health system—faced many problems and obstacles. However, through the wisdom and barami of Dr. Prawase, these crises were successfully overcome. For example, first, when the political authorities used their power to dissolve the National Epidemiology Board, the organization was able to be reconstituted as the National Public Health Foundation. Second, when the Rural Doctors group showed signs of internal conflict, causing concern to Dr. Sanguan Nittayaramphong, he asked Dr. Prawase to help serve as a “bond of unity.” He initially suggested that Dr. Prawase call individuals in to clear up various misunderstandings. However, with his exceptional insight, Dr. Prawase recognized that merely calling people in to talk things over would not succeed. Instead, he advised the dissidents to form a group to think together and work together, guided by the principles of Aparihaniyadhamma (conditions of non-decline) and kalyanamitta (spiritual friendship). As a result, the group of rural doctors who met regularly every month in Sam Phran became a sort of “think tank” that generated numerous changes beneficial to the nation and its people over a span of 37 years. Dr. Prawase sat at the head of the table as chair every month without fail, jointly brainstorming, reaching conclusions, and effectively setting the direction for ongoing collective action.

From the sphere of public health, Dr. Prawase went on to play a bold and continuous role in offering political views in his capacity as an elder statesman of the Thai people. At the same time, this venture made him a political target and placed him at considerable personal risk. On one occasion, someone even threw a dog’s head into the yard of his home, accompanied by a short message: “This time a dog’s head; next time, yours.” Yet he consistently continued to stand firm and defiant in his views.

Later, when Sub-Lieutenant Chalard Worachat declared that he would starve himself to death in front of Parliament “unless there was a constitution written by the people,” Mr. Marut Bunnag, then President of the House of Representatives, demonstrated leadership by announcing the appointment of a Democracy Development Committee, with Dr. Prawase as its chair. As a result, some critics accused him of serving the Democrat Party, but he was in no way shaken by the worldly conditions (lokadhamma) or by such idle chatter. He therefore persevered, spending three years driving the process systematically, culminating in the promulgation of the “People’s Constitution” of B.E. 2540 (1997), one of the finest constitutions the country has ever had. Regrettably, this constitution lasted only nine years before being replaced by the 2007 Constitution and now the 2017 Constitution (B.E. 2560), which has since become a burdensome legacy borne by the Thai people to this day.

The achievements of Dr. Prawase—once a poor boy from a forest village—who rendered such immense service to the nation and the Thai people, constitute a legacy that it is the duty of our generation and those to come to carry forward.

When His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songkla, the Father of Modern Medicine in Thailand, passed away on 24 September B.E. 2472 (1929), he had already made great contributions to the medical profession. One of his most important royal admonitions, inscribed at the base of his statue at the Ministry of Public Health, reads:

Let personal gain be secondary;
and the benefit of your fellow humans be your primary concern.
Wealth, assets, and honor will come to you naturally
if you uphold the moral principle of your profession with purity.

A little over two years after the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol, Dr. Prawase was born on 5 August B.E. 2475 (1932). He truly stands as an exemplar of one who followed in the royal footsteps, and faithfully embodied the royal admonition of the Father of Modern Thai Medicine.

May the spirit of Dr. Prawase attain a blissful realm in heaven.

The post Dedication to Dr. Prawase Wasi appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

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.

The post A Tribute to 1999 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Rosa Rosal appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) formally conferred the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awards to the FOUNDATION TO EDUCATE GIRLS GLOBALLY from India, SHAAHINA ALI from the Maldives, and Fr. FLAVIANO ANTONIO L. VILLANUEVA from the Philippines during the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Presentation Ceremony held on November 7, 2025, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, Philippines.

The evening drew over 700 guests, including government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, civil society organizations, and the academe, who witnessed the presentation of the Ramon Magsaysay Award medallions and certificates to this year’s recipients—symbols of Asia’s premier prize and highest honor for integrity and selfless service.

RMAF Chairperson Edgar O. Chua stated, “These Ramon Magsaysay Awardees remind us of what President Ramon Magsaysay stood for—that leadership is not measured by power, but by purpose; that real change lies not in what we gain, but in what we give. They show us that every life—every living organism, no matter how humble, deserves dignity, love, and grace.”

Delivering this year’s congratulatory message, ANANDA GALAPPATTI, a Sri Lankan clinical psychologist and community mental health advocate who received the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership, expressed his admiration for the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees and reflected on the continuing relevance of compassionate leadership in today’s world.

He remarked, “Through their vital work, Fr. FLAVIANO ANTONIO L. VILLANUEVA, SHAAHINA ALI and the FOUNDATION TO EDUCATE GIRLS GLOBALLY are responding to some of the greatest challenges that we face today in our families and communities across Asia, and also globally. The harms caused by violence and persecution, by systemic exclusion and structural inequality, and by the exploitation and damage to our shared ecosystems and planet are at the heart of much of the human suffering that we see in our world today.”

The 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, in their response, shared their gratitude and reaffirmed their dedication to serving their communities.

Representing FOUNDATION TO EDUCATE GIRLS GLOBALLY , or Educate Girls, from India, which has empowered millions of girls and young women through education, its founder, Safeena Husain, shared, “This win is dedicated to the hard work of the Educate Girls’ current and past team members, and especially our field coordinators, who go door to door to find every single girl who is not going to school. Volunteers, who have worked with us since inception to bring over 2 million girls back to school. They inspire us daily with their motto, ‘Mera Gaon, Meri Samasya, aur Main hi Samadhan,’ which means ‘My village, my problem, and I am the solution.’”

From the Maldives, SHAAHINA ALI emphasized the urgency of protecting marine ecosystems and empowering coastal communities, she said, “Working closely with a team of marine biologists became a turning point in my life. [….] I began to understand how these tiny organisms, which create something so powerful and beautiful, could become victims of climate change—often without many of us ever realizing the deep, symbiotic connection between the ocean and all life, including our own.”

Fr. FLAVIANO ANTONIO L. VILLANUEVA from the Philippines, known for his work restoring dignity to victims of injustice, said, “When I first learned of this Award, I simply grew quiet—and I realized, this honor was never about me, but about the many lives and hands that gave it meaning: the homeless man and woman who asked not for food but for dignity, the mother who searched for her son taken by violence, and the volunteers who show up each day with open hearts. This honor belongs to them.”

The medallions and certificates were presented by RMAF Chairman Edgar Chua and Francisco Magsaysay, grandson of President Ramon Magsaysay, in a symbolic moment linking generations of service and leadership.

The evening served as a fitting culmination of the Foundation’s celebration of the greatness of spirit and transformative leadership that remain vital in a rapidly changing world. Through the stories and works of its 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, the Ramon Magsaysay Award continues to champion hope, integrity, and compassion through selfless service to the peoples of Asia.

The post Greatness of Spirit Shines at the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

RMAF President Susan Afan shared, “The Ramon Magsaysay Center is more than an iconic building —it is a hub for inspiration, hope, and engagement. By opening our doors to these kinds of installations that spark awareness and participation, we are turning important messages into lived experiences. With our close proximity to the picturesque Manila Bay and our continuing support to environmental issues it is natural for us to kick off the Ramon Magsaysay Center’s evolution as a public space with Alon.”

Originally mounted by DLS-CSB’s Center for Campus Art in 2019, the Alon exhibit features surfers from six surfing camps located all over the Philippines, holding in their hands the scourge of our beaches, rivers, and oceans—plastic.

DLS-CSB President and RMAF Trustee, Bro. Edmundo “Dodo” Fernandez, FSC emphasized the importance of bringing art into public spaces. “We welcome this partnership as it reflects both DLS-CSB and RMAF’s common mission to use creativity in the service of humanity.

Art thrives when it provokes reflection and empathy. The Ramon Magsaysay Center is a remarkable canvas for Alon because it is open, visible, and accessible, a place where art meets the everyday passerby and reminds us of our shared responsibility to care for the world.”

The Alon Exhibit is free and open to the public starting 30 October 2025 at the Ramon Magsaysay Center. Visitors are encouraged to explore the installation and take part in this ongoing dialogue on environmental stewardship.

The exhibit also sets the stage for the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Festival Week from 4 to 7 November 2025, featuring public events that honor this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awardees.

Among these are the lectures of 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees from 4-6 November 2025, leading up to the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies on 7 November 2025 at The Metropolitan Theater, Manila. All events will be livestreamed on the Foundation’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The post “Alon”: A Call for Awareness on Plastic Pollution and Marine Protection appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

Recognized for her pioneering leadership in tackling plastic pollution and safeguarding fragile marine ecosystems, Ali, as Executive Director of Parley Maldives, has driven community-based initiatives that unite schools, local communities, and the tourism sector in collective action to protect the oceans that sustain Maldivian life.

Ali’s academic training and her groundbreaking role as the first female professional diver in the Maldives shaped her deep commitment to safeguarding the country’s natural heritage. Her career began in the diving industry, where she helped set national standards for safety and professionalism while opening doors for Maldivians, especially women, to engage in marine conservation.

Through Parley Maldives, Ali has introduced the Parley AIR Strategy (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign plastics) across the islands, combining education, eco-innovation, and policy advocacy. Under her leadership, Parley has mobilized schools, local communities, and tourism operators to reduce single-use plastics, restore marine habitats, and adopt sustainable alternatives. Her initiatives have empowered young Maldivians to become advocates for their environment, building a culture of responsibility and stewardship.

Reflecting on our shared responsibility in protecting the environment, Ali shares, “My parents’ generation worked tirelessly—often with very little—to give us a better life. Our generation took that gift and built comfort and convenience for our children. Yet in doing so, we slowly drifted away from nature. And now, just a generation later, many have lost that deep connection to the earth.

But it is not too late.

We are still here. We still remember what it feels like to be close to nature. Now it is our turn—to guide the next generation back; to share with them what once shaped us; to reconnect them with the world that gave us life; and to help them carry that bond forward to their children.

We may have strayed, but we can still find our way back—together.”

Completing the roster of the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees are Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, widely known as Educate Girls from India and Fr. Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva from the Philippines.  Educate Girls is being recognized for their groundbreaking work in addressing gender injustice in education in India’s most rural and remote areas. Fr. Villanueva will receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his work in restoring dignity to thousands of poor and homeless in Metropolitan Manila.

The 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees will formally receive their medallions and certificates during the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies on 7 November 2025 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila, Philippines. The event will be livestreamed on the Foundation’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

For more information on the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards and the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, visit www.rmaward.asia and the Ramon Magsaysay Award’s official social media accounts.

The post First Maldivian Honored with Ramon Magsaysay Award for Environmental Leadership appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation celebrates Educate Girls’ groundbreaking work in mobilizing entire communities to identify, enroll, and support out-of-school girls, ensuring that girls and women in India’s most marginalized and rural areas are given the chance to learn, thrive, and break the cycle of gender inequality.

Founded in 2007, Educate Girls was established on the belief that empowering girls through education creates a ripple effect that uplifts families, communities, and entire societies. Working in partnership with government systems, the organization mobilizes local volunteers known as Team Balika, who go door-to-door to identify out-of-school girls and bring them into classrooms. This community-driven approach has proven effective in breaking social barriers and shifting mindsets about the value of educating girls.

Over the years, Educate Girls has reached millions of children across multiple states in India, focusing not only on enrollment but also on retention and improved learning outcomes. Through remedial learning initiatives, parental engagement, and capacity building for teachers, the foundation has created sustainable models for change in underserved areas.

Reflecting on being a recipient of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, representing Educate Girls, Founder Safeena Husain shares, “Being the first Indian nonprofit to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award is a historic moment for Educate Girls and for the country. This recognition places a global spotlight on India’s people-powered movement for girls’ education, one that began with a single girl in the remotest village and grew to reshape entire communities, challenging traditions and shifting mindsets. This Award honors our dedicated Team Balika volunteers, valued partners, passionate gender champions, and supporters, and acknowledges the millions of girls who reclaimed their right to education. As we work to reach 10 million learners in the next decade and share this blueprint beyond India, we carry forward a simple truth that when one girl is educated, she takes others with her, multiplying change across families, generations, and nations.”

Completing the roster of the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees are Shaahina Ali from the Maldives and Fr. Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva from the Philippines. Ali is being recognized for her fight against plastic pollution and safeguarding fragile marine ecosystems in the Maldives. Fr. Villanueva will receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his work in restoring dignity to thousands of poor and homeless in Metropolitan Manila.

The 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees will formally receive their medallions and certificates during the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies on 7 November 2025 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila, Philippines. The event will be livestreamed on the Foundation’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

For more information on the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards and the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, visit www.rmaward.asia and the Ramon Magsaysay Award’s official social media accounts.

The post Organization Breaking Barriers for India’s Daughters among 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

In 2015, Fr. Villanueva established the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center in Tayuman, Manila, to provide holistic support for the poor and homeless. Its flagship programs reflect his integrated approach: KALINGA (an acronym for Kain-Aral-LIgo-naNG-umAyos, meaning Eat, Learn, Bathe, to be Well) offers meals, shelter, and hygiene facilities, while Paghilom focuses on emotional healing, restoring dignity, and helping families rebuild their lives.

By combining practical aid with spiritual guidance and community empowerment—and by mobilizing volunteers and local partners—Fr. Villanueva has transformed the Center into a space where the most vulnerable are not merely recipients of charity but active participants in reclaiming their futures.

Fr. Villanueva’s work demonstrates that every human being, no matter how marginalized, deserves to live with dignity. Through his programs, he has helped countless families reclaim hope, restore their lives, and strengthen their communities, showing that compassion combined with action can transform lives.

On receiving the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Fr. Villanueva shares, “The Ramon Magsaysay Award is a hopeful reminder for everyone that Greatness of Spirit is not an elusive reality but a living voice disturbing us to march as ‘Witnesses of the Light.’ And as witnesses, we are resolved in defending the truth and radiating the good. This recognition leads me to a humbling resolve ‘to act justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with my God.’ (Micah 6:8)

I accept this honor on behalf of the countless homeless people in search of a fraction of space in the street to call ‘home’ and on behalf of the courageous widows and orphans victimized by the ‘war on drugs.’ Their resilience to rise from the ashes of injustice, poverty and impunity is a stark revelation that from a fractured world, a beautiful spirit and person can arise.

My deepest gratitude to the legacy of President Ramon Magsaysay. May we persevere in drawing strength from his example and in so doing, recreate a better world and a brighter future for us all and the next generation.”

Completing the roster of the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees are Shaahina Ali from the Maldives and the Indian organization Foundation to Educate Girls Globally or Educate Girls. Ali is being recognized for her fight against plastic pollution and safeguarding fragile marine ecosystems in the Maldives. Educate Girls will receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for their groundbreaking work in addressing gender injustice in education in India’s most rural and remote areas.

The 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees will formally receive their medallions and certificates during the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies on 7 November 2025 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila, Philippines. The event will be livestreamed on the Foundation’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

For more information on the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards and the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, visit www.rmaward.asia and the Ramon Magsaysay Award’s official social media accounts.

The post From Streets to Hope: Filipino Priest Among 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.

The post Official Information Kit on the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees appeared first on Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Philippines.