Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2024 | Who are the winners this year?

The Ramon Magsaysay Awards were established in 1957 to honour the late President of the Philippines who died in a plane crash in March 1957.
| Photo Credit: (RM Award Foundation)

Often referred to as the Nobel Prize of Asia, the Ramon Magsaysay Award was created in 1957 in memory of the late Ramon Magsaysay, the former President of the Philippines who tragically passed away in a plane crash in March of that year. Mr. Magsaysay was renowned for his efforts in combating the communist Hukbalahap or Huk movement and was beloved by his people.

The inaugural awards ceremony took place in 1958, with prizes awarded in five different categories.

Among the first recipients was Indian freedom fighter Acharya Vinoba Bhave, who was honored with the Community Leadership award for his leadership in the Bhoodan movement. Dr. Mary Rutnam from Sri Lanka received the inaugural Ramon Magsaysay award for Public Service for her work with the Lanka Mahila Samiti, which focused on women’s empowerment. The Filipino organization Operation Brotherhood, which provided medical aid to refugees in Vietnam, was recognized with the Peace and International Understanding award.

The first Ramon Magsaysay award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication was shared by Mochtar Lubis, editor-in-chief of Indonesia Raya, and Robert McCulloch Dick, the Scottish founder of The Philippines Free Press. Chiang Mon-Lin, Chairman of the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction in China, was honored with the Award for Government Service for his contributions to agricultural development and improving the lives of Chinese farmers.

In 2008, the original five categories were discontinued, but a new category, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership, was introduced in 2009.

Since its establishment, over 300 individuals and 26 organizations from 22 Asian countries have received the prestigious Award. This year’s honorees, to be celebrated in a ceremony in Manila, include Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, Bhutanese scholar and social worker Phuntsho Karma, Vietnamese doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, Indonesian conservationist Farhan Farwiza, and the Rural Doctors Movement from Thailand.

Their inspiring journeys and contributions will be highlighted during the ceremony.