IN PHOTOS: ‘Heroes of Asia’ receive 2016 Magsaysay Awards

MANILA, Philippines – Three individuals and 3 organizations received the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Awards on Wednesday night, August 31, the birth anniversary of the late Philippine president after whom the leadership award was named.

Receiving the Magsaysay Awards – considered the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize – at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City were:

Individuals

• India: Bezwada Wilson – for asserting the inalienable right to a life of human dignity
• India: Thodur Madabusi Krishna – for ensuring social inclusiveness in culture
• Philippines: Conchita Carpio Morales – for restoring faith in the rule of law

Organizations

• Indonesia: Dompet Dhuafa – for expanding the transformative impact of zakat
• Japan: Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers – for building a world of genuine solidarity
• Laos: Vientiane Rescue – for volunteering to save lives at risk

When the awardees were named in July, Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation president Carmencita Abella referred to them as “heroes of Asia,” who had created solutions to problems in their own countries and in the region.

Vice President Leni Robredo delivered an inspirational speech, noting that her late husband, Naga City Mayor and later Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, received the Magsaysay Award for Government Service on the same stage in 2000. 

Meet the region’s modern-day heroes here:

BEZWADA WILSON, India

Bezwada Wilson is recognized for leading a grassroots movement to uplift the dignity of dalits, or India’s untouchables.

 

THODUR MADABUSI KRISHNA, India

 

 

Thodur Madabusi Krishna is recognized for using art and music to break barriers of caste and class in his country.

 

 

CONCHITA CARPIO MORALES, Philippines

 

 

 

The Ombudsman of the Philippines, retired Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, is recognized for “restoring faith in the rule of law” and for her “moral courage and commitment to justice in taking head-on one of the most intractable problems in the Philippines.”

 

 

DOMPET DHUAFA, Indonesia 

 

 

 

Representated on Thursday night by (from left) Ahmad Juwaini and Ismail Agus Said, the organization Dompet Dhuafa is recognized for its work toward transparency and accountability in the collection of zakat, an obligatory tax on an adult Muslim’s wealth that is set aside to help the needy. 

 

 

JAPAN OVERSEAS COOPERATION VOLUNTEERS, Japan

 

  

Representated by Kimichi Kubota and Shinichi Kitaoka, the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers is hailed for its contribution in the reconstruction and progress of developing countries, and for helping communities other than their own. 

 

 

VIENTIANE RESCUE, Laos

Representated by Bounmy Khamvongsa and Sebastien Perret, the non-profit organization Vientiane Rescue is recognized for its “heroic work in saving Laotian lives in a time and place of great need” through the round the clock rescue and emergency services by volunteers.

The awardees each received a certificate, a medallion with the likeness of President Magsaysay, and a cash prize.