RP environmental lawyer among Magsaysay awardees

MANILA, Philippines - An environmental lawyer and activist from the Philippines and five other outstanding individuals have been named the newest Asian heroes by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) for their significant contributions which transformed their societies for the better.

Antonio Oposa Jr. is being recognized for “his path-breaking and passionate crusade to engage Filipinos in acts of enlightened citizenship that maximize the power of law to protect and nurture the environment for themselves, their children and generations still to come.”

In a statement sent to The STAR, Oposa said, “This honor belongs to all Filipinos in the environmental movement, especially those in the front lines of the struggle – fishermen, farmers, NGO workers, lawyers, teachers, scientists, professionals, dedicated civil servants, media practitioners, and ordinary citizens who are all doing their share to protect and restore the basic elements of Life – Land, Air, Water, and the Seas (LAWS).”  

The other awardees are Krisana Kraisintu from Thailand, Deep Joshi from India, Yu Xiaogang and Ma Jun from China, and Ka Hsaw Wa from Burma, the Board of Trustees of the RMAF announced yesterday.

Kraisintu, a pharmacologist who played a pivotal role in Thailand’s success as one of the few countries in the world to have reversed a serious HIV/AIDS epidemic, is cited for “her placing pharmaceutical rigor at the service of patients, through her untiring and fearless dedication to producing much-needed generic drugs in Thailand and elsewhere in the developing world.”

Joshi is distinguished for “his vision and leadership in bringing professionalism to the NGO movement in India, by effectively combining head and heart in the transformative development of rural communities.”

Yu is cited for “his fusing the knowledge and tools of social science with a deep sense of social justice, in assisting dam-affected communities in China to shape the development projects that impact their natural environment and their lives” while Ma is awarded for “his harnessing the technology and power of information to address China’s water crisis, and mobilizing pragmatic, multi-sectoral and collaborative efforts to ensure sustainable benefits for China’s environment and society.”

Meantime, Wa is being acknowledged for “his dauntlessly pursuing non-violent yet effective channels of redress, exposure and education for the defense of human rights, the environment and democracy in Burma.”

Oposa, who was recently conferred the CIEL International Environmental Law Award, also said that Filipinos are “natural geniuses in our love for Nature,” since “we live in the richest and most beautiful country on Earth.”

“However, we have been distracted by the misguided values and wrong-headed economic policies imposed on us by some of our leaders and thus follow the wasteful ways of the so-called ‘developed economies’. It is time for a revolution – for a turn-around of our mindsets. We must shift from the present mindset of wasteful use of our natural wealth to use that is wise, caring, and sustainable. It is time to restore our country’s damaged sources of Life,” he added.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award, established in 1957, is Asia’s highest honor and regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

It seeks to honor the legacy of President Ramon Magsaysay and to place living examples of inspiring leadership and service before the public.

RMAF president Carmencita Abella said the 2009 Magsaysay awardees “are true Asian heroes, putting their advanced knowledge and skills to serve their countrymen.”

The six 2009 Magsaysay awardees join 271 others who have received Asia’s highest honor to date.

They will be formally conferred the Magsaysay award during presentation ceremonies to be held on Aug. 31 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.