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About the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) is an international
wholly independent non-profit organization based in Manila, Philippines.
RMAF manages the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Honoring greatness of spirit in selfless service to the people of Asia

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation was created in 1957, the year the Philippines lost in a plane crash a President who was well-loved for his simplicity and humility, his passion for justice, particularly for the poor, and his advancement of human dignity. Among the many friends and admirers of the late President around the world were the Rockefeller brothers. With the concurrence of the Philippine government, the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) established the Ramon Magsaysay Award to honor President Magsaysay’s memory and perpetuate his example of integrity in public service and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. ‍

Supported with a generous endowment from the RBF, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation was organized in Manila in May 1957, with seven prominent Filipinos as founding members of the foundation’s board of trustees. The Foundation has since implemented the Ramon Magsaysay Award program, pursuing the objective of honoring greatness of spirit in selfless service to the people of Asia. The first Ramon Magsaysay Awards were given on August 31, 1958 to five outstanding individuals working in India, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, and SriLanka, and a Philippine-based organization.

Our Vision

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) recognizes persons and organizations in Asia that exemplify transformative leadership and greatness of spirit. ‍

But beyond the Award, RMAF seeks to amplify and further enhance the Magsaysay laureates’ work and legacy so their ideas and solutions to Asia’s pressing problems extend beyond their borders; inspiring emergent leaders to do more of what is good and what is right, to make Asia a better and kinder place for all.

Our Mission

To promote and celebrate greatness of spirit

We search for ordinary men, women and organizations that do extraordinary work in Asia.

We support the work of the Ramon Magsaysay Laureates, connecting them to global resources, including next generation leaders.  


We seek to inspire. We forge dialogue. We ignite action.

Milestones

The Milestones of Foundation

1958

Presidential Inauguration of Ramon Magsaysay

The first Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies were held on August 31, 1958. The Awards were presented to a Philippine-based organization and five outstanding individuals working in India, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Sri Lanka.

1967

Presidential Inauguration of Ramon Magsaysay

Designed by Alfredo J. Luz and Associates, the Ramon Magsaysay Center was built and opened to house the Foundation, perpetuate the Awards, and provide a space for its first tenants.

1987

Presidential Inauguration of Ramon Magsaysay

The Program for Asian Projects (PAP) was created by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) in direct response to the outcomes of the first-ever Magsaysay Awardees Assembly held in Bangkok, Thailand in November 1987. The PAP, as a major program of RMAF, has successfully achieved its primary objective of advancing the work of Magsaysay Awardees by providing financial assistance for their continuing or new projects. The PAP program ended in 2008.

2000

Presidential Inauguration of Ramon Magsaysay

The Awardee category of Emergent Leadership was inaugurated, supported by a grant from The Ford Foundation.

2008

Presidential Inauguration of Ramon Magsaysay

As it marked its 50th year of granting the Award, RMAF spearheaded The Asia Forum, an international conference that examined Asia’s most compelling challenges and looked at ways by which partnerships may be forged to create the greatest impact for the peoples of Asia.

2009

Presidential Inauguration of Ramon Magsaysay

The Ramon Magsaysay Transformative Leadership Institute (RMTLI) was established as a major program of RMAF. It aims to promote the transformative solutions of the Magsaysay Laureates towards making broader, more strategic interconnections among Asian leaders.

2021

Presidential Inauguration of Ramon Magsaysay

The RMTLI NextGen Leadership Program was established with the goal of bringing together the next generation of Asian leaders mentored by Ramon Magsaysay Awardees to create innovative projects for the future of Asia.

2023

Presidential Inauguration of Ramon Magsaysay

RMAF celebrates the 65th anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards with the main drive of transforming the Ramon Magsaysay Center into Asia's center for inspiration and hope.

1958
1967
1987
2000
2008
2009
2021
2023
2024 Board of Trustees
2023 Board of Trustees
Members of the Foundation

Cecilia L. Lazaro

Chairperson

Cecilia “Cheche” L. Lazaro is a multi-awarded broadcast journalist who has been recognized both locally and internationally for her pioneering work in television.  She was co-founder and producer of Probe Productions, a Philippine media company that produced several revolutionary Filipino programs, including 5 and Up, Art Is Kool, Gameplan, Cheche Lazaro Presents, Probe Profiles, and The Probe Team, the first and longest-running investigative newsmagazine in the Philippines. 

For her works, Ms. Lazaro received several awards and recognitions, including the KBP Golden Dove Awards, Catholic Mass Media Awards (Hall of Fame), Malolos Heritage Foundation, Philippine Movie Press Club, and Gawad CCP para sa Telebisyon.  In 2001, she received the Silver World Medal for Television Documentary and Information Program on Social Issues/Current Events at the New York Festival.  

Cecilia L. Lazaro

Chairperson

Suzanne E. Siskel

Vice Chairperson

Suzanne E. Siskel is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Asia Foundation, a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across Asia-Pacific. 

Her past experience includes leadership roles at the Ford Foundation both in their New York headquarters and in its Southeast Asian operations. She served as acting director of Ford Foundation’s Gender Rights and Equality unit in support of women’s economic rights, LGBT rights, and HIV/AIDS.  Her last role at Ford Foundation was as director of Social Justice Philanthropy. Ms. Siskel played an integral role in the establishment of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership through a grant from the Ford Foundation.   

Trained as a social anthropologist, Ms. Siskel has served variously as a consultant, university teacher, and researcher throughout Indonesia, Brazil, and Mexico. She studied social anthropology, receiving her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and her master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University. 

Suzanne E. Siskel

Vice Chairperson

Susanna B. Afan

President

Susan Afan worked for three decades for a Fortune 500 global staffing firm in the United States, Robert Half International, and retired as a District President in Southern California. In 2005, she was recognized as its number one Regional Manager in the world. 

She returned to the Philippines in 2014 and served as Managing Director and a member of the Board of Trustees of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation (ALKFI), the socio-civic arm of the Philippines most trusted media company, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network. She is also a current board member of WeSolve Foundation.  

Ms. Afan joined the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation as its President in January 2021. 

Susanna B. Afan

President

Gizela M. Gonzalez-Montinola

Treasurer

Gizela Madrigal Gonzalez-Montinola, also known as Ging, is a lawyer, businesswoman, and partner at Romulo Law. She has served on boards of various Philippine corporations, primarily in real estate and banking, and is involved in non-profit organizations such as the Consuelo Madrigal Foundation and Caritas Manila. 

Ms. Gonzalez-Montinola was a Regent of the University of the Philippines and a founding trustee of the Beacon School, an International School in Manila, Philippines committed to developing students into agents of change. She established the Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Creative Writing Center, now in its twenty-third year, to support newly published writers.  

She authored "Where the Children Are," a book highlighting the lives of Filipino children facing challenging circumstances. 

Gizela M. Gonzalez-Montinola

Treasurer

Emily A. Abrera

Trustee

Widely acknowledged as an authority and trailblazer in advertising and marketing management, Emily Abrera served as Chairman, President & CEO of McCann-Erickson Philippines. Upon retirement, she was named Chairman-Emeritus at McCann Worldgroup Philippines, and non-executive Chairman of McCann World group in the Asia-Pacific region.

Her other interests are reflected in her involvement in diverse organizations, having served as Chairperson of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and as member of the EDSA People Power Commission. She is a trustee of the Bonifacio Art Foundation, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, and the Philippine Eagle Foundation, among others. 

Ms. Abrera served the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation as Chairman of the Board of Trustees in 2006 and 2010, Vice-Chairman in 2005, 2008-2009, and 2011, and was its Interim President in 2020. 

Emily A. Abrera

Trustee

Delia D. Albert

Trustee

Delia Domingo Albert, a distinguished senior diplomat, served as the Philippine Ambassador to Australia and non-resident Ambassador to Vanuatu, Nauru, and Tuvalu from 1994 to 2002. Later, she made history as the first female Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines, capping a 36-year diplomatic career. 

Notably, she was the first woman career diplomat to become a Foreign Minister in ASEAN and Asia. Ambassador Albert's roles included Director-General of the ASEAN National Secretariat and Undersecretary for International Economic Relations. 

During her ambassadorship in Australia, she achieved significant milestones, such as defense agreements and the initiation of the Philippines-Australia Dialogue. She played a pivotal role in enhancing bilateral relations, recognizing Australian servicemen and promoting Filipino women's interests. Ambassador Albert received recognition from the Australian Government in 2016. 

Awarded the Knights Commanders Cross of the Order of Merit with Star of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1992, Ambassador Albert, fluent in multiple languages, engages in advisory roles for organizations like the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy and the Asian Institute of Management. Currently, she serves as a Senior Adviser to SGV and CO/Ernst and Young Philippines. 

Delia D. Albert

Trustee

Ernesto D. Garilao

Trustee

Ernesto Garilao is the Chairman and President of the Zuellig Family Foundation, one of the largest healthcare services groups in Asia.   

Mr. Garilao has extensive experience in development work as Executive Director of Philippine Business for Social Progress (1978-1992).  He served as Secretary of the Philippine Department of Agrarian Reform under the administration of Pres. Fidel Ramos. From 1994-1998, he was Vice-Chairman of the Social Reform Council, the highest policy-making body for the Philippines’ anti-poverty programs. 

In 2019, Mr. Garilao was awarded the Xiong An International Health Forum Impact Award, a recognition for an outstanding achievement by an established professional in improving global health. 

Ernesto D. Garilao

Trustee

Cielito F. Habito

Trustee

Cielito Habito was the youngest member of the Cabinet of Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos as Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority.  He chaired the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development from 1992-1998, and was elected Chair of the Sixth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York in 1998. 

He has worked at the World Bank, Harvard University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies in Kyoto University, and Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo.  He is a Professor of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he is also the Director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development. He is also Chairman of Brain Trust: Knowledge and Options for Sustainable Development Inc. 

Prof. Habito’s column, “No Free Lunch,” appears weekly in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the Philippine’s leading broadsheets. 

Cielito F. Habito

Trustee

James Kondo

Trustee

James Kondo currently serves as the Chairman of the International House of Japan, an independent foundation dedicated to promoting international cooperation for a free, open, and sustainable world.

He holds additional roles, including Global Trustee and Japan Co-Chair of Asia Society, Board Member of US-Japan Foundation, and a Trustee and Visiting Professor at Keio Medical School. 

Previously, Mr. Kondo was Vice President of Growth Strategy at Twitter Inc and Chairman of Twitter Japan. He has received recognitions such as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Yale World Fellow by Yale University, Asia 21 Fellow by Asia Society, and Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy. 

James Kondo

Trustee

Josephine Lok

Trustee

Josephine Lok is the CEO of Mizuho Bank Singapore where she oversees the Singapore Office of over 1000 employees. With more than two decades of senior management experience, Ms Lok is a highly respected leader and brings with her a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of leadership. 

Previously, Ms Lok was the Singapore COO at UBS, a leading Swiss Bank, where she played a pivotal role in steering the organization through critical operational strategies and advancement. She has also held various leadership positions at Credit Suisse and is one of the industry pioneers in the data analytics field.

Committed to driving positive changes in society, Ms. Lok mentors and nurtures young talents across the region to cultivate next generation leaders. A staunch advocate for diversity and inclusion, she champions initiatives aimed at empowering women and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

Josephine Lok

Trustee

Guillermo M. Luz

Trustee

Guillermo M. Luz is a consultant at Ayala Corporation, a prominent Philippine business group with diverse holdings. Additionally, he serves as the Chief Resilience Officer of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), focusing on disaster preparedness and recovery. 

Mr. Luz leads Liveable Cities Philippines, dedicated to enhancing urban planning. Formerly, he was the private sector co-chairman of the National Competitiveness Council and has held various roles in organizations like the Asian Institute of Management, Rizalino S. Navarro Policy Center, and the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. 

He co-convened Task Force T3, contributing to the private sector's collaboration with the government on the national COVID-19 response. His past positions include Executive Director of Makati Business Club, Executive Vice President/COO of Ayala Foundation, and Secretary General of NAMFREL.

Guillermo M. Luz

Trustee

Ramon R. del Rosario Jr.

Trustee

Ramon R. del Rosario Jr. is the President and CEO of PHINMA Inc and PHINMA Corporation. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PHINMA Education Holdings, Inc., which provide the underserved sectors access to quality education and of the nine educational institutions in the PHINMA education network. Mr. del Rosario is also the founding Chairman of Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and is Vice-Chairman of Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Caritas Manila, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). 

He served as the Secretary of the Department of Finance of the Philippines from 1992 to 1993.  He was the Chairman of the Makati Business Club, the Integrity Initiative, and the National Museum of the Philippines.  He was Chairman of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation from 2016-2017. 

Mr. del Rosario was selected as the Most Outstanding Student of the Philippines in 1967, one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines in 1978, the MAP Management Man of the Year in 2010 and received the “Business as a Noble Vocation Award” in 2018. 

Ramon R. del Rosario Jr.

Trustee

Kotchakorn Voraakhom

Trustee

Kotchakorn Voraakhom is the CEO and Founder of Landprocess and Porous City Network. She also serves as the Chairwoman of the Climate Change Working Group at the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA World), serves on the Global Commission on Nature Positive City for the World Economic Forum, and is a design critic faculty member at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. 

As a Thai landscape architect, she focuses on creating green public spaces to address climate change in urban areas and vulnerable communities. Notable projects include the Chulalongkorn Centenary Park, mitigating urban flood risk, Thammasat Urban Rooftop Farm, addressing food and water scarcity, and Chao Phraya Sky Park, the first bridge park crossing a river in any capital city.  

Ms. Voraakhom has received accolades such as the UN Global Climate Action Award and has been recognized in TIME’s “100 Next 2019,” which lists 100 rising stars shaping the world's future each year, BBC’s “100 Women,” and Bloomberg’s “Green 30 for 2020.” 

Kotchakorn Voraakhom

Trustee

Aurelio R. Montinola III

Chairman (2023)

Gigi Montinola is the Chairman of the Board of Philippine-based Far Eastern University.  He is also a member of the board of World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines and Philippine Business for Education, as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively.

He has served as President of the Bank of the Philippine Islands from 2005 to 2013, and of the Bankers’ Association of the Philippines from 2008 to 2012.  He was twice awarded with the Asian Banker Leadership Achievement Award for the Philippines and was named the Management Association of the Philippines Management Man of the Year in 2012.

Prior to being the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Mr. Montinola was its Treasurer in 2018 and 2019.

Aurelio R. Montinola III

Chairman (2023)

Dato Paduka Timothy Ong Teck Mong

Vice Chairman

Dato Timothy Ong is the Founder and Chairman of Asia Inc. Forum, a regional platform for policy and business dialogue.  He is the recipient of The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei given by His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei, which confers the title “Dato Paduka.”

Aside from his work for the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, he sits on the board of various leading regional organizations including Baiduri Bank Group, and the Asian Advisory Board of Prudential Financial.  He is also a Governor of the Asian Institute of Management.

Dato Paduka Timothy Ong Teck Mong

Vice Chairman

Randolf S. David

Trustee (2023)

Randolf David is a renowned Filipino journalist, sociologist, and public intellectual.  He is currently Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of the Philippines (UP), where he has taught since 1967.  He has authored several books including National Book Award winners “Reflections on Sociology and Philippine Society” (2001) and “Nation, Self, and Citizenship: An Invitation to Philippine Sociology” (2002).

He has given lectures across the globe on a broad range of subjects such as language and consciousness, culture and development, education and the mass media, among others.  Prof. David received the prestigious Fukuoka Prize in 2019 for his outstanding contributions to Asian culture.

He served as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation in 2003 and 2004, respectively. 

Randolf S. David

Trustee (2023)

Cecilia L. Lazaro

Trustee

Cecilia Lazaro is a multi-awarded broadcast journalist who has been recognized both locally and internationally for her pioneering work in television.  She was co-founder and producer of Probe Productions, a Philippine media company that produced several revolutionary Filipino programs, including 5 and Up, Art Is Kool, Gameplan, Cheche Lazaro Presents, Probe Profiles, and The Probe Team, the first and longest-running investigative newsmagazine in the Philippines.

For her works, Ms. Lazaro received several awards and recognitions, including the KBP Golden Dove Awards, Catholic Mass Media Awards (Hall of Fame), Malolos Heritage Foundation, Philippine Movie Press Club, and Gawad CCP para sa Telebisyon.  In 2001, she received the Silver World Medal for Television Documentary and Information Program on Social Issues/Current Events at the New York Festival.

Cecilia L. Lazaro

Trustee

Suzanne E. Siskel

Trustee

Suzanne E. Siskel is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Asia Foundation, a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across Asia-Pacific.

Her past experience include leadership roles at the Ford Foundation both in their New York headquarters and in its Southeast Asian operations. She served as acting director of Ford Foundation’s Gender Rights and Equality unit in support of women’s economic rights, LGBT rights, and HIV/AIDS.  Her last role at Ford Foundation was as director of Social Justice Philanthropy. Ms. Siskel played an integral role in the establishment of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership through a grant from the Ford Foundation.  

Trained as a social anthropologist, Ms. Siskel has served variously as a consultant, university teacher, and researcher throughout Indonesia, Brazil, and Mexico. She studied social anthropology, receiving her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and her master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University.

Suzanne E. Siskel

Trustee

Toshinao Urabe

Trustee

Ambassador Urabe is a well-known Japanese diplomat who has served as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines, Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland and Consul General in Atlanta.  He also served as the Deputy Director for Policy Coordination of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet in Japan and was involved in the coordination of the Ministry’s response to the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the first Gulf War.

After a brief Directorship at the Oceania Affairs Division in 1990, he was called in to serve as Private Secretary to the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs in July 1991. He was subsequently posted in Canberra in 1993 and Bangkok in 1996, during which time he observed the evolution of the economic crisis of 1999.

In 2014, Ambassador Urabe was conferred the Order of Sikatuna, the national order of diplomatic merit of the Republic of the Philippines by President Benigno Aquino, Jr.

Toshinao Urabe

Trustee

Susanna B. Afan

President

Susan Afan worked for three decades for a Fortune 500 global staffing firm in the United States, Robert Half International, and retired as a District President in Southern California. In 2005, she was recognized as its number one Regional Manager in the world. 

She returned to the Philippines in 2014 and served as Managing Director and a member of the Board of Trustees of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation (ALKFI), the socio-civic arm of the Philippines most trusted media company, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network. She is also a current board member of WeSolve Foundation.  

Ms. Afan joined the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation as its President in January 2021. 

Susanna B. Afan

President

Emily A. Abrera

Trustee

Widely acknowledged as an authority and trailblazer in advertising and marketing management, Emily Abrera served as Chairman, President & CEO of McCann-Erickson Philippines. Upon retirement, she was named Chairman-Emeritus at McCann Worldgroup Philippines, and non-executive Chairman of McCann World group in the Asia-Pacific region.

Her other interests are reflected in her involvement in diverse organizations, having served as Chairperson of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and as member of the EDSA People Power Commission. She is a trustee of the Bonifacio Art Foundation, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, and the Philippine Eagle Foundation, among others. 

Ms. Abrera served the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation as Chairman of the Board of Trustees in 2006 and 2010, Vice-Chairman in 2005, 2008-2009, and 2011, and was its Interim President in 2020. 

Emily A. Abrera

Trustee

Ernesto D. Garilao

Trustee

Ernesto Garilao is the Chairman and President of the Zuellig Family Foundation, one of the largest healthcare services groups in Asia.   

Mr. Garilao has extensive experience in development work as Executive Director of Philippine Business for Social Progress (1978-1992).  He served as Secretary of the Philippine Department of Agrarian Reform under the administration of Pres. Fidel Ramos. From 1994-1998, he was Vice-Chairman of the Social Reform Council, the highest policy-making body for the Philippines’ anti-poverty programs. 

In 2019, Mr. Garilao was awarded the Xiong An International Health Forum Impact Award, a recognition for an outstanding achievement by an established professional in improving global health. 

Ernesto D. Garilao

Trustee

Cielito F. Habito

Trustee

Cielito Habito was the youngest member of the Cabinet of Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos as Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority.  He chaired the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development from 1992-1998, and was elected Chair of the Sixth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York in 1998. 

He has worked at the World Bank, Harvard University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies in Kyoto University, and Asian Development Bank Institute in Tokyo.  He is a Professor of Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he is also the Director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development. He is also Chairman of Brain Trust: Knowledge and Options for Sustainable Development Inc. 

Prof. Habito’s column, “No Free Lunch,” appears weekly in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the Philippine’s leading broadsheets. 

Cielito F. Habito

Trustee

Jose L. Cuisia Jr.

Treasurer (2023)

Ambassador Cuisia took his official diplomatic post as Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United States of America from 2011 to 2016.  He served as the Governor of the Philippine Central Bank and Chairman of its Monetary Board from 1990-1993.  He also served as Governor for the Philippines to the International Monetary Fund, and Alternate Governor to the World Bank.

Cuisia was President, CEO and Vice Chair of Philam Life, one of the leading insurance companies of the Philippines, for 16 years. He was also Chairman of the Board for BPI-Philam Life Assurance Co. and the Philam Foundation.

Currently, he is the Chairman of FWD Life Insurance Co. (Philippines), The Covenant Car Company and the University of Asia & the Pacific Foundation Inc. Amb. Cuisia was conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu by Pres. Benigno Aquino III in 2016 and received the Management Man of the Year Award from the Management Association of the Philippines in 2007. 

Prior to his position as its Treasurer, he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation from 2018-2019.

Jose L. Cuisia Jr.

Treasurer (2023)

Ramon R. del Rosario Jr.

Trustee

Ramon R. del Rosario Jr. is the President and CEO of PHINMA Inc and PHINMA Corporation. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PHINMA Education Holdings, Inc., which provide the underserved sectors access to quality education and of the nine educational institutions in the PHINMA education network. Mr. del Rosario is also the founding Chairman of Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and is Vice-Chairman of Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Caritas Manila, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). 

He served as the Secretary of the Department of Finance of the Philippines from 1992 to 1993.  He was the Chairman of the Makati Business Club, the Integrity Initiative, and the National Museum of the Philippines.  He was Chairman of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation from 2016-2017. 

Mr. del Rosario was selected as the Most Outstanding Student of the Philippines in 1967, one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines in 1978, the MAP Management Man of the Year in 2010 and received the “Business as a Noble Vocation Award” in 2018. 

Ramon R. del Rosario Jr.

Trustee

Aurelio R. Montinola III

Chairperson (2020-2023)

Randolf S. David

Chairperson (2003-2004)

Deogracias N. Vistan

Chairperson (1993-1994)

Vitaliano N. Nañagas II

Chairperson (2001)

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II

Chairperson (2002, 2008-2009)

Juan B. Santos

Chairperson (2004-2005, 2013-2014)

Maria Cynthia Rose B. Bautista

Chairperson (2011-2012)

Jose Ramon T. Villarin, SJ

Chairperson (2015)

Senen C. Bacani

Chairperson (2017-2018)

Jose L. Cuisia Jr.

Chairperson (2019-2020)

Messages from the Chairperson and the President

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON

Greatness of Spirit transcends boundaries. It knows no limits. This is our mission as a Foundation: to recognize outstanding individuals and organizations in Asia that embody greatness of spirit and transformative leadership. Our commitment to this mission remains resolute. 

As the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation begins a new chapter, we aim to cultivate inter-generational bonds that transcend borders. We will build bridges between seasoned, experienced hands and young, aspiring minds. Embracing shared experiences and wisdom, we will continue enriching and deepening the legacy of the Ramon Magsaysay Laureates. 

As we expand our programs, we hope to cultivate a new generation of leaders dedicated to embodying this legacy. The Ramon Magsaysay Center, our strategic hub for transformative leadership, stands as testament to our commitment and mission, inspiring a connected, harmonious Asia. 

We will be doing all these things to give life to the credo by which Ramon Magsaysay lived: “I believe that the free world is collectively strong, and that there is neither need or reason to compromise the dignity of man.” 

To achieve our shared dream for a connected and harmonious world, we invite committed voices to become ambassadors of greatness of spirit. Join us in amplifying the Magsaysay Laureates' stories, championing their causes, and spreading inspiration across the region. Together, let us build a kinder and better Asia. 

Cecilia L. Lazaro

Chairperson
MESSAGE FROM THE president

“Since 1958, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation has celebrated Greatness of Spirit and Transformational Leadership among dreamers like Vinoba Bhave, Fusaye Ichikawa, and Ka Dodoy Ballon. To date, over 300 dreamers have received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s premier prize and highest honor.

In celebration of our 65th year in 2023, we at the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation have set ambitious dreams: To amplify the life-affirming messages and inspiring values of the Magsaysay laureates, to further promote their successful solutions across borders, and to make them true examples of the best of humanity which young people can emulate.

In doing so, we hope to see more people having better access to basic needs; more marginalized communities asserting their human rights; more citizens challenging disinformation; and more young people stepping up to be the leaders they were meant to be.”

Susanna B. Afan

President
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