Five Awardees take center stage in the 55th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Ceremonies

THREE individuals and two organizations who share the virtue of selflessness in working for their people’s welfare received the 2013 Ramon Magsaysay Awards in a formal presentation ceremony at the CCP Main Theater last August 31.

This year’s awardees come from diverse cultures and regions—Lahpai Seng Raw from Myanmar, Habiba Sarabi from Afghanistan, Ernesto Domingo from the Philippines, Shakti Samuha from Nepal, and the Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) or Corruption Eradication Commission from Indonesia.

Hon. Maria Lourdes Sereno, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, was the guest of honor during the ceremony. She lead the conferment of the Award certificates and medallions to the five awardees. A video presentation commemorating the 55th Anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation was ushered during the proceedings. 

The Magsaysay Awardees had a full schedule of activities prior to the Awards. They delivered public lectures and met with NGOs, academic institutions, development organizations, and local government executives. This allowed the awardees to share with a wide and diverse audience the remarkable work they are doing.

The Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 to honor the spirit of greatness and selfless leadership manifested in the extraordinary lives and work of the laureates— individuals and organizations who are dubbed as Asia’s heroes of change. President Ramon Magsaysay, whose life and leadership inspired the creation of the Award, now regarded as Asia’s premier prize and the region’s highest honor.