MANILA, Philippines – Filipina children’s rights advocate Bernadette Madrid was named on Wednesday, August 21, as one of the four recipients of the 2022 Ramon Magsaysay Awards.

The Awards, established in honor of the late former Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay, is Asia’s premier prize and highest honor being given to individuals and groups who have impacted the Asian region and the world. It is considered as Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

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Magsaysay Foundation recognized Madrid’s work in “providing medical, legal and psychosocial care in children and women who are victims of abuse.”

“We are honoring her for her admirable commitment in championing the rights of the most vulnerable and for her transformative work in integrating child protection into the health infrastructure in the Philippines,” said Magsaysay Foundation chairman Aurelio Montinola III.

Madrid was a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. She has been leadning the Philippine General Hospital’s Child Protection Unit since 1997. She also teaches pediatrics in the University of the Philippines Manila.

Her work as children’s rights champion have received recognitions locally and internationally.

In 2021, Madrid was recognized as the Most Outstanding Pediatrician by the Philippine Pediatric Society Inc.

This year’s other awardees are: 

• Sotheara Chhim (Indonesia) – for his mental health advocacy
• Tadashi Hattori (Japan) – for his “sight-saving humanitarian” advocacy
• Gary Bencheghib (Indonesia) – for his anti-plastic pollution advocacy

Prior to Madrid, the latest Filipino awardees were Filipino fisher and community environmentalist Roberto “Ka Dodoy” Ballon (2021), National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab (2019) for “nurturing young people’s gifts through the power of music,” and former ambassador and peace negotiator Howard Dee (2018) for “championing peace, justice, and economic growth for decades.” – Rappler.com