To be given an award is exceptional, but for the recently named Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, it was an opportunity to further raise awareness in their chosen field of advocacies.
The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, dubbed as “Asia’s premier prize and highest honor” aims to recognize outstanding individuals in Asia, along with their transformative leadership and contribution to different societies.

In 2022, four esteemed individuals bagged the award, one of which is a Filipina Pediatrician.
Children's Rights Crusader Dr. Bernadette Madrid
Dr. Bernadette Madrid, born in Iloilo, dedicated her life to championing the rights of kids by pushing for the creation of safe spaces for abused children. As the Executive Director of the Child Protection Network, she disclosed that out of all the 81 provinces in the Philippines, there remained only 20 provinces where they have yet to establish a women and children protection unit
“ Biliran, Abra, Apayao, Quirino, Ifugao, Ilocos Sur, Rizal, Tarlac, Aurora, Kalinga, Marinduque, Romblon, Agusan del Sur, Compostela Valley, Cotabato, Cebu, Lanao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Zamboanga Sibugay,” Madrid told the media on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
For Madrid, violence against children hides in various forms that sometimes neither social nor cultural reasons recognize. One specific incident pushed Madrid to further advocate for children’s rights.
The story involved a two-year-old patient with severe burns.
“When I was a resident we had a patient in the intensive care unit. very cute little boy and was only 2 years old. The boy was badly burned. We couldn’t figure out how he got those severe burns that he needed . He survived,” she said.
Madrid confessed that during that time, the thought that those burns were inflicted injuries already played in her mind, but she protested and second-guessed herself, dismissing her thoughts as she told herself “siguro naman ay hindi totoo (Maybe it is not true).”
The child was sent home and then within that year, Madrid recalled, the boy came back with severe burns anew, the only difference is that he was already lifeless when he was admitted.
While child abuse remain rampant, Madrid shed some light on the country’s battle against abuse in any forms.
“We do have a Philippine plan of action to end violence against women and children. Filipinos are good at making plans but the implementation is so far behind. We can’t have a solid plan without a budget and without human resources,” Mardid stressed.
For the expert, battling against child abuse and at the same time strengthening women and child protection in the country takes a whole nation effort. She highlighted that it cannot be a “pilot study with everyone doing their own thing.”
Despite the horrifying abuse-related incidents she witnessed and several stories that touched her life, Madrid displayed her wide smile accompanied by her accepting and warm aura. Asked how she can maintain the smile on her face, she simply answered in a shaky but hopeful voice: "Because we can do something. We are not helpless. We see success."
Mental Health Advocate Dr. Sotheara Chhim
Fifty-four year-old Cambodian Psychiatrist Dr. Sotheara Chhim took a career path that is close to his heart.
Chhim, when he was just seven years old, was separated from his parents and was forced to work in a rural camp when the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia in 1975. Reports say that it took more than three years before Chhim was reunited with his family.
The incident brought psychological devastation among the people of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Years after he studied medicine, Chhim took the Executive Director role of Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) in Cambodia, the largest non-government organization in the field of mental health care and psychosocial support in their country.
As the organization worked on a project regarded as “The Truth, Trauma, and the Victims of Torture,” Chhim developed the concept of baksbat also known as broken courage, a post-traumatic state of fear. This, according to Chhim, better described the experiences of Cambodians compared to the term “post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Asked how Asian countries could improve their response in overcoming the stigma enveloping mental illnesses, the expert suggested the use of social media to further spread awareness campaigns.
“Asian countries should invest more on mental health. At least in Cambodia there is very little budget allocated for mental health. There is not enough government funding for mental health. Nevertheless, with limited funding, we can do stigma reductions through social media to raise awareness on these issues,” said Chhim.
Anti-Plastic Pollution Warrior Gary Bencheghib
It all started when Gary Bencheghib was 14 years old.
Behind the picture-perfect landmarks of Bali, Indonesia loiters tons of combined single-used plastics and marine waste. This moved young Frenchman Gary Bencheghib, a resident of Bali, Indonesia, to begin his mission of eradicating marine plastic pollution one river at a time.
Together with his siblings, all of whom were minors when they started, he initiated a weekly beach clean-up with their friends. This eventually led to the establishment of “Make a Change World,” an organization focused on documenting “change makers” across the globe.
Little by little, through the continuous clean ups and by means of educating the people, Bencheghib clings to their goal of achieving a plastic-free world.
“I definitely see a world without plastics. Otherwise, I would not be doing what I am doing. Hopefully in my lifetime, we are able to ,” said Bencheghib.
Sight-saving Humanitarian Tadashi Hattori
Japanese Ophthalmologist and Humanitarian Dr. Tadashi Hattori, although he was not able to attend the press day held by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, was among the four awardees in 2022.
The 58-year-old Ophthalmologist committed his time and resources in providing free eye surgeries in Vietnam.