The 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Festival Season is set to commence with the announcement of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees on August 31, the birth anniversary of the Philippine President after which Asia’s premier prize and highest honor is named.
In a statement, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) Chairman Aurelio R. Montinola III said, “August 31 is a very important date for the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation as it is the birth anniversary of President Ramon Magsaysay, one of the most outstanding global leaders of his time. To celebrate this important date, the Foundation will be announcing globally this year’s recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award at 11:00 AM Philippine Time. It will livestreamed on the Ramon Magsaysay Award’s Facebook page and Youtube channel.”
Now in its 65th year, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s premier prize and highest honor, hopes to tell more stories of transformative leadership and greatness of spirit across Asia. While defining greatness of spirit can be subjective, the Board of Trustees has seen it with the works of our Magsaysay Laureates from 1958 to present who have demonstrated the same greatness of spirit that then President Ramon Magsaysay has embodied throughout his life. From visionaries to innovators to pioneers to artists to humanitarians to peace-builders, this year’s 65th batch of Awardees are no different – we believe that these four individuals share the same unwavering courage and compassion for the common man that we have been pushing for since then.”
Celebrated as Asia’s premier prize and highest honor, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has been given to outstanding Asian leaders, some of whom are His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Akira Kurosawa, Muhammad Yunus, Ela Bhatt, and Sir Fazle Abed who have since become global icons after receiving the Award.
“Asia deals with numerous daunting social issues on a daily basis. Yet amidst these seemingly insurmountable challenges, we have witnessed individuals and organizations who share the same vision with the Foundation. This year, we proudly honor the four Magsaysay Awardees who fearlessly tackle these problems, employing a practice of empathy and a solution-oriented approach that bring about transformative change in their communities,” shared Montinola.
The 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Festival Season will showcase the significant and extraordinary influence of the works of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees to the world. RMAF President Susanna B. Afan shared, “This year serves as a milestone year as the Foundation celebrates its 65th Anniversary. The Foundation anchors its theme with ‘Transforming Asia, Inspiring the World’ as we strive to share more stories of remarkable global leadership aligned with our hopes to continuously transform Asia and inspire the world.
The key visual captures the essence of our roots and draws inspiration from the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award medallion. The semi-circles symbolize the ever-evolving transformative impact that our Magsaysay Awardees have been representing.
Afan enthuses, “The gradient strokes of the semi-circle represent the dynamic nature of society. Yet, amidst these constant change the Ramon Magsaysay Award remains firm in its mission to honor progress through its Magsaysay Laureates. We believe that the work of this year’s four Magsaysay Awardees serves as a call of hope and inspiration for us all – that kindness and selfless service can transform lives for the better.”
The 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Festival Season will begin on August 31 with the announcement of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees. The Foundation will do a global live stream for the announcement on its official social media channels at 11:00 AM (Manila Time). The Season will conclude on November 11 with the formal Presentation Ceremonies to be held in the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, Philippines followed by the launch of the book ‘Greatness of Spirit’ on November 12.
