The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation will announce the three recipients of the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award on August 31, marking the 119th birth anniversary of former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay.
The global announcement will take place at 11 a.m. Manila time and will be livestreamed through the foundation’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The announcement will officially open the 68th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Festival Season, which will culminate in the presentation of the awards on November 15 at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award, first presented in 1958, honors individuals and organizations whose leadership and service have made a significant contribution to the lives of people and communities in Asia. The foundation describes it as Asia’s premier prize and highest honor, recognizing “greatness of spirit” expressed through selfless service.
The award was established to honor the memory and legacy of Ramon Magsaysay, who served as the seventh president of the Philippines from 1953 until his death in 1957. The awardees are selected through a confidential nomination process involving international nominators and a rigorous evaluation by the foundation’s Board of Trustees.
According to the foundation, the 2026 awardees were chosen for work that reflects the enduring values associated with Magsaysay’s leadership, including service to others, creating opportunities for communities and helping people shape their own futures.
Foundation Chairperson Edgar O. Chua said the recipients come from different backgrounds and pursue different advocacies but share a commitment to expanding opportunities and creating value for others.
Foundation President Susanna B. Afan said the selection process involved a rigorous evaluation of individuals and organizations from across Asia. She described the three recipients as individuals whose work reflects the standards and values upheld by the Ramon Magsaysay Award for nearly seven decades.
As of 2025, the award had been conferred on 328 individuals and 28 organizations from 24 countries and territories across Asia, according to the foundation.
Among the 2025 awardees were Father Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva, a Filipino Catholic priest recognized for restoring dignity and hope among poor and homeless people in Metro Manila; Shaahina Ali, a Maldivian environmental advocate and ocean conservationist; and the Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, an Indian organization working to address gender inequality in education.
The 2026 awardees will be formally honored during the 68th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies on November 15 in Manila. The ceremony will be open to the public.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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