The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) will announce the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees on Sunday, 31 August 2025 at 12:00 NN Philippine Standard Time through an online global broadcast. It also marks the 118th birth anniversary of President Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh President of the Philippines and the namesake of the Award.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award, first conferred in 1958, has been widely regarded as Asia’s premier prize and highest honor. It recognizes individuals and organizations whose concrete, transformative work uplifts lives and strengthens the human spirit across Asia—what the Foundation calls greatness of spirit and transformative leadership.
RMAF President Susan Afan shares, “For 67 years, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has honored individuals and organizations whose leadership and service embody the highest values of humanity. In every generation, their courage has inspired hope, their compassion has healed wounds, and their integrity has stood as a beacon in times of uncertainty. Together, they show us that greatness of spirit transcends boundaries of culture, nation, or sector, and that real change emerges when people and institutions alike dedicate themselves to the welfare of others. More than a recognition, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is a testament to this enduring truth.”
This year’s theme, “Illuminating Our Future,” reflects the legacy and mission of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, honoring the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees whose life’s work—together with that of past Ramon Magsaysay Laureates—lights the way forward in a world seeking hope and direction.
Over the past 67 years, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has been given to 356 individuals and organizations from 24 countries and territories in Asia. Past recipients include His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Japanese filmmaker Miyazaki Hayao, Bangladeshi microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus, and Filipino pediatric pioneer Fe Del Mundo. The global announcement will be livestreamed via the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation’s official website and social media platforms. The 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Festival Season will conclude on 7 November 2025 with the formal Presentation Ceremonies to be held in the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, Philippines.