MANILA, Philippines – This year, 6 Asian leaders were recognized for their contributions in their respective communities and named winners of the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Awards, widely regarded as Asia’s version of the Nobel prize.
The awards were created in honor of the late President Ramon Magsaysay, one of the Philippines’ beloved leaders, who died in a plane crash in 1957.
From 1958 to 2016, 312 individuals and organizations have received the prestigious award for their leadership, work and service to improve quality of life in their communities and introduce innovative solutions to societal problems.
During the announcement of the latest batch of awardees on Wednesday, July 27, the son of the late president, former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr, said the awards hope to spread inspiration among ordinary citizens.
He expressed hope that the awards would inspire fellow Filipinos to aspire for and render leadership that is faithful to the country.
“That [they] put at the forefront the common problems, the dreams and ambitions of the common people to uplift their lives…for social good,” Magsaysay said.
He added that the new awardees have become “models of social good.”
According to figures from the Ramon Magysaysay Awards Foundation, 47 awardees have worked in the Philippines, coming in second only to India.
See the breakdown below.
Most awardees are between 51 to 60 years old, while only 4 awardees have fallen between the 20-30-year age range.
| DISTRIBUTION BY AGE (individuals) | |
| AGE GROUP | NUMBER OF AWARDEES |
| 20-30 | 4 |
| 31-40 | 27 |
|
41-50 |
66 |
| 51-60 | 76 |
| 61-70 | 71 |
| 71-80 | 38 |
| 81-90 | 10 |
| 91-100 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 294 |
Meanwhile, male awardees outnumber females, with a total of 225 males recognized compared to only 69 females.
| DISTRIBUTION BY SEX (individuals) | |||
| Living | Deceased | Subtotal | |
| Male | 109 | 116 | 225 |
| Female | 49 | 20 | 69 |
| TOTAL | 158 | 136 | 294 |
The awarding ceremony for the 2016 awardees will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City on August 31, the birth anniversary of the late President Magsaysay. – Rappler.com
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