The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) announced the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2026 on August 31, 2026.
» This year three awardees have been selected by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
- This is the 68th edition of the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Theme of the 68th Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2026:
» The theme for the 68th Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2026 was “A World for All,” a call to imagine and build a future grounded in shared humanity, where progress is inclusive, dignity is upheld, and every person and community can participate and thrive.
The formal presentation of the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Awards will take place during the 68th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, Philippines on 15 November 2026.
68th Ramon Magsaysay Award 2026 Winners:
- BO KYI, from Myanmar
- RUNA KHAN, from Bangladesh
- TOMMY KOH, from Singapore
» BO KYI was recognized for “his life’s work as a steadfast pursuit of truth, accountability, and justice. His enduring commitment reflects extraordinary moral courage, personal sacrifice, and an unwavering belief that democracy and human dignity are always worth defending—and that even in the face of oppression, the truth must be told, justice must be pursued, and the freedom to believe must be upheld and defended at all costs.”
» RUNA KHAN was recognized for “her profound empathy for the poorest of the poor in her country, and her courage, vision, and tenacity in building and leading Friendship to accomplish her mission. In her hands, privilege became not an entitlement, but a responsibility; not a family legacy to protect, but a gift to be shared so that others, too, might have the chance to live with hope, opportunity, and dignity.”
» TOMMY KOH was recognized for “his exemplary leadership in international diplomacy and in the formation of a new generation of advocates devoted to the advancement of justice and human dignity the world over. Through his steadfast faith in dialogue, the rule of law, and international cooperation, he has helped make peaceful coexistence possible in a world of unequal power.”
About Ramon Magsaysay Award:
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in April 1957.
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award was named after the third President of the Republic of the Philippines.
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award is announced in formal ceremonies in Manila, Philippines on August 31st, the birth anniversary of the much-esteemed Philippine President whose ideals inspired the Award’s creation in 1957.
- The first Ramon Magsaysay Awards were given on August 31, 1958 to a Philippine-based organisation and five outstanding individuals working in India, Indonesia, Philippines, China (Taiwan) and Sri Lanka.
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s premier prize and highest honor and is recognized as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
- To date, the Award has been conferred on 331 individuals and 28 organizations from 24 countries and territories in Asia.
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation annually selects the awardees for the field of Emergent Leadership.
- In 2025, an Indian organization, the FOUNDATION TO EDUCATE GIRLS GLOBALLY (or Educate Girls), founded by Safeena Husain in 2007, won the Ramon Magsaysay Award.