A Filipino Catholic priest of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), which this year marks the 150th anniversary of its founding, has been named among the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, Asia’s premier honor for transformative leadership.
Fr. Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva, SVD, widely known as “Father Flavie,” was recognized for his lifelong mission of restoring dignity to the poor, homeless, and oppressed, embodying the values of compassion, justice, and faith at the heart of Christian service.
Fr. Villanueva’s ministry is deeply rooted in his vocation as a religious missionary of the SVD. In 2015, he established the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center in Manila, named after the congregation’s founder, to provide holistic support for marginalized Filipinos. The Center’s flagship program, KALINGA (Kain, Aral, Ligo, Nang umAyos—“Eat, Learn, Bathe, to be Well”), goes beyond material aid to include food, shelter, clothing, hygiene facilities, and spiritual guidance. For Fr. Villanueva, restoring human dignity is as essential as meeting basic needs.
His ministry also extends to those who suffered during the Philippine government’s “war on drugs.” Through the Paghilom (Healing) program, he organized exhumations and cremations for victims whose families could not afford proper burials. The program also provides psychosocial and spiritual support for widows and orphans, helping them rebuild their lives. At the Dambana ng Paghilom (Shrine of Healing), the country’s first memorial columbarium for drug war victims, families find not only a dignified resting place for their loved ones but also a space for healing and solidarity.
Fr. Villanueva’s own story of renewal gives weight to his message of hope. Once a troubled youth who admitted to drug use, he experienced a profound conversion in the mid-1990s. He volunteered as a lay missionary, entered the seminary, and was ordained an SVD priest in 2006. His journey of personal transformation fuels his belief that every person, no matter how broken or marginalized, can rise again.
Not surprisingly, his prophetic ministry has also drawn opposition. In 2020, Fr. Villanueva faced sedition charges, later dismissed, while continuing to endure threats. Yet he remains steadfast, affirming that justice means more than legal redress; it also means helping the poor recover self-respect, forgive themselves, and begin anew.
In receiving Asia’s most prestigious award, Fr. Villanueva dedicated the honor to the poor and to the widows and orphans of the drug war:
“The Ramon Magsaysay Award is a hopeful reminder that Greatness of Spirit is not an elusive reality but a living voice disturbing us to march as ‘Witnesses of the Light.’ I accept this honor on behalf of the countless homeless searching for a place to call home, and the courageous widows and orphans rising from the ashes of injustice.”
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation praised Fr. Villanueva for “upholding the dignity of the poor and the oppressed, daily proving with unwavering faith that by serving the least of their brethren, all are restored.”
The 67th Ramon Magsaysay Award Presentation Ceremonies will take place on November 7, 2025, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
