PAGBABAGO Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid The memory of Ramon Magsaysay, the Philippine’s seventh president whose 112th birth anniversary we commemorated last Tuesday becomes more deeply meaningful today  in the light of recent  events that had ignited public indignation over perceived  blatant violation of integrity in governance. Thus, Michael Valenzuela, Fsc’s Facebook post narrating examples of Magsaysay’s  “delicadeza”  – his strong views against the practices in government circles of accepting monetary gifts and favors, and irregularities in procurement transactions, strikes  a resonant cord because of contrasting images. Magsaysay, he noted, “had raised the bar.” This bar of course refers to Magsaysay’s passion in setting a moral standard, his  honesty and  integrity.   He discouraged a  brother from practicing law because he might be perceived as using his influence to win his brother’s cases. He banned his relatives from running for public office; cancelled a legitimate contract between the government and one of his uncles lest it be perceived that his uncle had won the contract through his influence. He made sure his wife kept family household accounts in Malacanang strictly separate from official ones, instructing that family expenses (food, clothing, education, etc.) be charged against his personal salary and not the President’s official budget. He reminded his family that they were only “tenants” in the palace which was why he never spent for its renovation, nor even bought a new car  “How can I when I see the people suffering? They have no food, no medicine, no drinking water, no irrigation for their farms,” he said. The picture that we get today is a country that is moving towards the direction of a failed state. This is still far off but it is not an impossibility if we allow some of  our public officials to continually plunder the state coffers. “Premeditated plunder” is how this recent mismanagement of pandemic funds had been  described “A plunder like no other” is how the public views it noting that the amount consisting of overpricing of medical supplies, favored contracts, and irregularities in procurement transactions amounted to tens of  billions of pesos. Because this was happening  at a time of hunger, unemployment, anxiety, fears about one’s health and the  future because  it involved delays in vaccinations and failure to provide access to medical facilities,  we cannot help but call  it as a crime of high treason. And we do need some  good news to lift our spirits. Last Tuesday, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Committee announced the five recipients of the 2021 RM Awards, Asia’s premier prize and highest honor –  Roberto Ballon, a fisherfolk leader and para-technician (Philippines), Steven Muncy, (Southeast Asia), humanitarian leader; Firdausi Qadir, (Bangladesh),  scientist involved in vaccine development; Mohammad Anjab Saqib (Pakistan), microfinance; and Watchdoc, Indonesia, independent media leadership. Ballon is being recognized for his “inspiring determination in leading his fellow fisherfolk to revive a dying fishing industry by creating a sustainable marine environment and his shining example of how everyday acts of heroism can truly be extraordinary and transformative.” The Award is timely as the Philippines is one of the top fish-producing countries of the world. And being an archipelago in the heart of the Coral Triangle, the global center of marine diversity. The irony is that fisherfolk, particularly municipal fishermen, who constitute 85 percent of the 1.6 million fisherfolk sector, are among the poorest labor groups in the country. The five awardees will be honored at fitting recognition ceremonies on Nov. 28 at the Ramon Magsaysay Auditorium. My email, [email protected]