The Ramon Magsaysay Award is given annually in memory of former Philippines president Ramon Magsaysay on August 31st, his birthday anniversary. It was established in 1957 and the first award was given in 1958. It is presented by ‘The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation’. The award is internationally called as the Nobel Prize of Asia.
Categories in which award is given-
From 1958 to 2008, the award was given in six categories however since 2009, the award no longer has fixed categories for recipients, except for Emergent Leadership.
What is included in the award-
The award carries a certificate, a medallion bearing an embossed image of Ramon Magsaysay and a cash prize of $50,000.
Ramon Magsaysay Award 2023 winners-
In 2023, it was its 65th edition and four persons got this award this year one of them was Indian-
1.Korvi Rakshand, Bangladesh-
In 2007, Korvi Rakshand and his friends established a non-profit organisation ‘JAAGO Foundation’. It provides free-of-cost, government-recognised English-language education to underprivileged children.
2.Eugenio Lemos, Timor-Leste-
Eugenio Lemos is an agriculture expert who has helped the Timorese community to promote organic farming. His organisation ‘Permakultura Timor-Lorosa’e(Permatil)’ organises camps to train people in the field of agriculture.
3.Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Philippines-
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer is a peace negotiator. With other women peacebuilders, she initiated the drafting of the Philippines’ first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security which was eventually adopted by the government in 2010.
In 2012, she became the chairperson of the Philippine Government’s Peace Panel and In 2020, she co-founded the South-east Asian Women Peace Mediators.
4.R. Ravi Kannan, India-
In 2007, R. Ravi Kannan became the director of Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre(CCHRC), a non-profit facility. He was the first formally trained oncologist to fill the position.
In his leadership, a hospital with limited facilities became a full-fledged comprehensive cancer treatment centre. From a staff of only twenty-three, the hospital has 451 employees with 28 departments today.