It was the birthday of the late President Ramon Magsaysay, and to commemorate it, Asians gathered at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Wednesday to honor six awardees possessing the well-loved leader’s “greatness of spirit." In a ceremony attended by prominent Filipino personalities and other Asian guests, five individuals and a group from different parts of Asia received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF), which administers the prize, recognized the following awardees for addressing a range of human development issues in Asia:
Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. (Philippines) for developing technologies for rural poor communities Harish Hande (India) for using social enterprise to give the poor the benefits of solar technology Hasanain Juaini (Indonesia) for creating a special Islamic school that responds to the community’s needs Koul Panha (Cambodia) for establishing a watchdog and other mechanisms to protect the electoral and post-electoral processes in his country’s young democracy Tri Mumpuni (Indonesia) for promoting and tapping community participation to harness hydrotechnology Nileema Mishra (India) for empowering her village to find solutions to their own problems GMA News Online will post individual profiles of each awardee starting Wednesday. Noticeable ‘change’ in focus In an interview with GMA News Online after the awarding, Gawad Kalinga founder Antonio Meloto said he appreciates RMAF’s renewed focus on awardees involved in community-based development. Meloto contrasted their styles with the “top-down" approach that focuses more on donations and charity. “Ngayon ang pinag-usapan dito is really empowerment," he said. Sr. Ada Mant Marcella, a nun from Myanmar who also attended the ceremonies, meanwhile, emphasized the need to harness one’s talents for others as the Magsaysay awardees did. “Once we realize our capabilities, then we can help others," she said. Created after Magsaysay’s death The Ramon Magsaysay Award was created in 1957, the year when the charismatic president died in a plane crash after barely four years in office. Magsaysay “is well-remembered as a friend of the masses," said a post on the website of the Office of the President. Initially supported with an endowment from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the award is now managed by the RMAF board of trustees. RMAF gives out the award every August 31. - KBK, GMA News 
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