A lawyer-diplomat in Singapore, a founder of a grassroots development organization in Bangladesh, and a former political prisoner in Myanmar are the recipients of the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely regarded as Asia’s premier prize and highest honor. The announcement made on Aug. 31 by the board of trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation...
Tag: leadership
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After a crash landing, stranded students fight to survive in FEU Theater Guild’s ‘Bangaw’
Breadcrumbs lead to the set of “Bangaw,” the new musical production of FEU Theater Guild (FTG) for 2026. The reminders over the speaker sound like flight announcements, and the viewers walking to their seats are welcomed by a cosplaying flight stewardess. Furry masks heaped on a table behind her hint of danger. Inside the small...
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Political crossroads: Reform, stability, and the limits of street pressure
Being away from the Philippines, even briefly, offers a vantage point that is both clarifying and sobering. From afar, the recent rallies that swept parts of Metro Manila appeared to me loud, impassioned, and unmistakably public in their demand for accountability. They have forced Malacañang to act swiftly—reshuffling sensitive positions, firing officials, and making high-profile...
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Filipino women walk President Corazon Aquino’s path of courage and integrity
Philippine history is filled with Filipino women accomplishing feats of which they were thought incapable because patriarchy deemed so. They were not called leaders, but heroes: Melchora Aquino (aka Tandang Sora) provided medical care, food, and sanctuary to revolutionaries; Gregoria de Jesús guarded the Katipunan seal and documents, and served as secretary of its women’s...
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Escudero loses Senate presidency to Sotto as scandal over multibillion-peso flood projects rages
Francis Escudero lost the Senate presidency to Vicente Sotto III on Monday, just over a month after his reelection to the post—a sign that senators are listening to public opinion, according to a political analyst. The change in leadership in the Senate occurred in the face of growing public anger over the government’s multibillion-peso flood...
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Risa, Leni show the way
True to form, Sen. Risa Hontiveros battled mightily to prevent the dignity of the Senate, such as what it has become, from being fully shredded at the start of the inquiry into extrajudicial killings during Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal “war on drugs.” But for Hontiveros’ efforts the upper chamber would have been in complete thrall to...
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66th year: Ramon Magsaysay Awards honor visionary leaders in Asia
For the 66th year, the Ramon Magsaysay Awards are being given to individuals and organizations in Asia that embody transformative leadership and greatness of spirit. This year, the Magsaysay Awards laud the efforts of those “whose work challenges boundaries and redefines leadership and community impact,” said Susanna Afan, president of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation...