Conchita Carpio Morales is Ramon Magsaysay Foundation awardee

The Ramon Magsaysay Foundation on Wednesday named six new awardees, among them Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, the sole recipient from the Philippines.

"Her moral courage and commitment to justice in taking head on one of the most intractable problems of the Philippines. Promoting by her example of incorruptibility, diligence, vision, and leadership the highest ethical standards in public service, our sixth awardee is Conchita Carpio Morales from the Philippines," the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation announced. 

Restoring faith in the rule of law, Conchita Carpio Morales is a Ramon Magsaysay Foundation awardee pic.twitter.com/Ys7S1O6HX7

— Aya Tantiangco Miura (@aya_tantiangco) July 27, 2016

The 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees pic.twitter.com/xKOockLoWm

— Aya Tantiangco Miura (@aya_tantiangco) July 27, 2016

Other awardees are:

1. Bezwada Wilson from India
2. Dompei Dhuafa from Indonesia
3. Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers from Japan
4. Thodur Madabusi Krishna from India
5. Vientiane Rescue from Laos

Wilson championed a crusade which began in 1993, organizing the people to fight against dalit or India's "untouchables" and rallying government support for scavengers.

Dompet Dhuafa or "Wallet for the Poor" is an organization that supports 400 university scholars and funds a host of other economic projects through zakat, an obligatory tax on an adult Muslim's wealth set aside to help those in need.

The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers is a 51-year-old organization that deploys volunteers globally to aid the reconstruction and progress of developing countries.

Krishna is additionally recognized for Emergent Leadership.

Vientiane Rescue is a group of over 200 volunteers who work a 24-hour hotline and responds to 15 to 30 accidents a day. In 2015 alone, the Vientiane Rescue responded to a total of 5,760 road accidents.

The recipients will be flown into Manila for a short visit from August 27 to September 3, in time for the official conferment of the awards on August 31 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

This is the first time that the names of the laureates were announced prior to the conferment. President of the Ramon Magsasay Foundation awards Carmencita T. Abella told the press on Wednesday that while they have been fairly modest and quietly dignified for years, "It is also important to blow the trumpets once in a while."

Past awardees

The Philippines is home to 47 previous awardees, including Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa (2015), Ernesto Domingo (2013), and Romulo Davide (2012).

Morales joins Jose Aguilar (1959), Francisca Aquino (1962), Arturo Alcaraz (1982), Miriam Defensor Santiago (1988), Alfredo Bengzon (1991), Jesse Robredo (2000), Hilario Davide (2002), Haydee Yorac (2004), Jovito Salonga (2007), and Grace Padaca (2008) on the list of individuals recognized by the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation for their exemplary performance in government service.

Morales

Now 75, Morales began her career as an assistant attorney in a Manila law firm in 1968. In 2002, Morales was appointed Associate Justice in the Supreme Court. She gained prominence when then-incoming President Benigno Aquino III requested that she preside over his oath-taking in 2010, refusing then-Chief Justice Renato Corona to swear him into office. Morales became the first female magistrate to administer the president's oath.

Aquino announced Morales' appointment to the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) in 2011. Under her leadership, the conviction rate of the the cases handled by the OMB rose from 33.3 percent to 74.5 percent. Her office is still currently handling the cases against former Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima, and politicians involved in the alleged pork barrel (Priority Development Assistance Fund) scam.

Asian Leaders Talk

Amid the news that makes people feel that the world has gone awry, Abella said that the light of the Magsaysay Awards needs to be shared more.

"You need to hear the good news more than once a year," she said. "If there's a lot of good news, you have to share it more often."

Along with the names of the awardees, the foundation also announced the launch of their new website and the Asian Leaders Talk or ALT.

ALT, inspired by the TEDxTalks, are videos of visionaries previously recognized by the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation tackling problems that need to be addressed and providing inspiration for more individuals to join the fight against social injustice, economic inequality, and other issues that the Asian region is facing. —KG, GMA News