By Margie Quimpo-Espino — Inquirer.net
MANILA, Philippines–”Icing on the cake” is how Carmencita T. Abella, president of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, describes the awarding ceremonies held every year in August.
“The entire year we look, we investigate, we research. We do a lot of backroom work,” she notes.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award turns 50 this year and it has honored the “greatness of spirit shown in service to the people” of 193 males and 54 females from 21 countries in Asia. Of the awardees, 38 came from the Philippines–27 men and and 11 women.
The Ramon Maysaysay Award may not be as well known as the Nobel Peace Prize, but Abella likes to think of it as the greater award. “Nobel does not look at the motivation and the person. Ramon Magsaysay is more difficult because the choices have to be unassailable,” she says.
