Ramon Magsaysay awardees feted November 30

MANILA, Philippines — Four awardees will be honored in this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awards, regarded as Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize, on Nov. 30 in Manila.

In a statement, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) said the 64th year of the awards presentation ceremonies shall fete Gary Bencheghib of Indonesia, Sotheara Chhim of Cambodia, Tadashi Hattori of Japan and Bernadette J. Madrid of the Philippines.

“This year’s Ramon Magsaysay awards represents the best of humanity,” said RMAF chairman Aurelio Montinola III, noting that for the first time in its 64-year history, the awards ceremony will be held at the Ramon Magsaysay Center.

Bencheghib is a young Frenchman who is on a mission of eradicating marine plastic pollution in Bali, Indonesia one river at a time, while Chhim is a psychiatrist and mental health advocate who has been healing unique trauma in Cambodia.

Hattori, the awardee from Japan, is an ophthalmologist and humanitarian who has committed his time and resources to providing free eye surgeries in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Madrid is a pediatrician championing the Filipino child’s right to protection by creating safe spaces for abused children nationwide.

“We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the transformative work and the inspiring lives of the 2022 Ramon Magsaysay awardees. Their remarkable achievements are testament that Asia is a region teeming with seemingly ordinary people who are capable of doing extraordinary things. They are leaders who can truly change the world,” Montinola said.

“This year is also a transition year for us at the Foundation. To strengthen our identity as an Asian organization, we shall continue inviting prominent Asian leaders, including past Ramon Magsaysay awardees, to be guests of honor at the annual presentation ceremonies,” he added.

One of the world’s widely acclaimed leaders in the field of public health, education and community development and 1994 Ramon Magsaysay awardee Mechai Viravaidya of Thailand will deliver the keynote message.

RMAF president Susanna Afan said that the COVID-19 pandemic has motivated the foundation to keep innovating in the ways it does its work and presents its laureates.

“Greatness of spirit is very much alive in Asia and we need to find more creative ways of bringing hope and inspiration to our larger audience, Asia. Last year, we managed to pull off a 100 percent virtual event that brought us our best viewership to date, with over a million views! This year, we are holding our first hybrid event as pandemic constraints have somewhat eased,” Afan said.

The 64th Ramon Magsaysay Awards will be livestreamed on Nov. 30 at 4:30 p.m. (Phl time) on the Ramon Magsaysay Award’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.