EDITORIAL - Magsaysay's legacy

Over 55 years ago, the nation mourned the loss of a distinguished public servant who died in a plane crash. The legacy of President Ramon Magsaysay, who would have turned 105 today, is preserved in the prestigious annual awards given out in his name to Asians who have shown exemplary competence and dedication in their respective fields.

This year the awardees are Chen Shu-Chu of Taiwan, Romulo Davide of the Philippines, Kulandei Francis of India, Syeda Rizwana Hasan of Bangladesh, Yang Saing Koma of Cambodia, and Ambrosius Ruwindrijarto of Indonesia.

Chen, the child of impoverished vegetable vendors in the city of Taitung, remains a vegetable vendor in the city’s central market. Out of her earnings, she has given away over the years the equivalent of $320,000 to various charities, especially those involved in the care and education of children.

Davide, an agricultural scientist described as the Philippines’ “Father of Plant Nematology,” has applied his expertise to make agricultural pest control accessible and affordable to marginalized farmers. He drew inspiration from his father, a teacher from Cebu, who often said, “There are no barren soils, only barren minds.”

Francis, born to a poor family in Tamil Nadu, launched an integrated village development project that included conducting night school in the light of gas lamps, running a first-aid center, and undertaking a micro-watershed program. His group launched a micro-savings and credit program for women that now has total savings equivalent to $8.9 million and a loan portfolio of $435 million, financing village programs in various fields including education, health and sanitation.

Hasan, a lawyer specializing in environmental justice, is fighting in Bangladeshi courts to ban the entry of toxin-laden ships into the country, as well as the filling up of wetlands. The “right to environment,” she believes, is part of the constitutional right to life.

Cambodian agronomist Koma pioneered an ecologically sustainable system of increasing rice yields, which can be used in the numerous smallholder farms in his country. The strategy was endorsed by the government in 2005 and Koma’s organization currently supports 140,000 farmer families in 21 provinces. His system has been credited for raising Cambodia’s rice production from 3.82 million tons in 2002 to 7.97 million in 2010.

Ruwindrijarto partnered with a UK-based group in exposing illegal logging and smuggling in Indonesia. Working in coastal communities, the group also proposed viable solutions to promote sustainable, community-based logging and forest management. He also pushed for reforms to end destructive fishing, restore coral reefs and conserve marine resources.

All the Ramon Magsaysay awardees have dedicated their lives to helping others, and deserve emulation as they receive recognition today for their work.