“I would like to believe that the enduring milestones or achievements of an award-giving body like the RMAF are the laureates themselves who are focused, determined and relentless in their crusade and advocacies to serve the peoples of Asia,” remarks Susanna Afan, the foundation’s current president, in a conversation with Tatler. She expounds further on the institution’s longstanding goal: “Our first job is to find and inspire people who, amidst all the bleakness in this world, are beacons of light and hope for all of us.”

Affirming this is Aurelio Luis Montinola III (more popularly known as Gigi Montinola among his peers), who recently finished his tenure as chairperson on the RMAF’s 65th anniversary. He calls this collective mission a great source of pride for the organisation, adding: “While a number of our awardees have become global icons after receiving the award—such as the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Akira Kurosawa, Ela Bhatt and Muhammad Yunus—all our 348 Magsaysay awardees have unique, inspiring stories and have made significant impact in their respective societies.” To Afan, Montinola, and many others, this spirited selection is a perpetual catalyst that renews their passion and optimism.

In case you missed it: Inside the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Awards Ceremonies

It helps that, amid ever-changing times, the Foundation finds its role evolving, too. “At 65, we are reinventing ourselves,” Afan beams. She says the RMAF is recommitting itself to its laureates by becoming an incubator of people and ideals. This bridge interconnects them with one another to amplify many shared aspirations.“We want to appeal to the next generation of Asian leaders, and we want to let them know that there is a safe space to discuss all kinds of issues: women’s rights, abuse, healthcare, poverty, inequality, education and so on,” she relays. “By doing so, we get to ignite further action.”

Enthusiasm for this expanded role—undoubtedly spurred by the Foundation’s embracing modern technology and understanding its contemporary audience—has facilitated many concurrent initiatives and collaborations. Montinola names a few, beginning with revitalising the Sixties-built Ramon Magsaysay Centre and establishing a new Ramon Magsaysay Transformative Leadership Institute (RMTLI) as meeting points for their growing community.

“The Ramon Magsaysay Award is one of Asia’s strongest heritage brands, and we need to introduce the Award, with a much more Asian context, to a broader and younger audience,” shares Montinola. Notable efforts to achieve this include creating a more diverse roster in the RMAF’s board of trustees and arranging speaking engagements for past Magsaysay laureates. The refresh of its libraries and other physical venues also aligns with its vision to be a potent connector, bridging not only like-minded people but also the past and present to spark more innovative solutions.

Afan highlights that their primary goal for this 65th anniversary is to reconnect with their Magsaysay community. To celebrate their past and present laureates, she and Montinola are happy to announce the launching of a seven-volume book series, which is fittingly titled Greatness of Spirit. Soon available in print and online, each leafy volume will cover stories of love, courage and service across Asia, as fervently captured by the RMAF throughout its rich history.

“In revisiting the 348 stories of the Ramon Magsaysay awardees, we saw that they responded to the problems of their time. And with it, you can see how Asia has evolved as a region,” muses Afan.“On the flip end, it’s unfortunate that some past generations’ problems persist. After 65 years, the ways of addressing society’s problems have evolved. But what is encouraging is that new heroes continue to emerge! Greatness of spirit remains the same. So it is easy for the Foundation to remain resolute in our mission, simply because we know who we are down to our core.”

Montinola says something similar: “Greatness of spirit is timeless—this is what we have celebrated since 1958. We hope to continue celebrating this in the decades to come,” he remarks. “We hope to remain relevant as a beacon of hope, of good news. I am confident that our incoming board and the Foundation’s staff will continue this tradition and remain stalwart stewards of this greatness of spirit.”

The commemorative book series launches in February 2024 in New Delhi, just as Magsaysay Week kicks off in the capital city. Afan shares her dream of having each volume translated into various languages all over Asia, and for more books to come, that will cater to every age. The RMAF president finally shares that there is much to await from the RMAF’s expansion in the coming years.

“When we conclude our 65th anniversary celebrations in June 2024, we are laying the foundations in preparation for the Award’s 100th anniversary. This means expanding a lot of our work, creating avenues for more cross-collaborations, strengthening our research team and looking at more partnerships with Asian institutions to know people on the ground [and find future awardees],” she details. “I’m excited. The Foundation is alive and well, and I hope we instil pride in our being Asian, over and above bringing hope and inspiration in the years ahead.”

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