The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation has unveiled this year’s recipients of Asia’s most prestigious honor, recognizing individuals and organizations that have championed social justice, education, and environmental sustainability across the region. The 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees are Educate Girls from India, a grassroots organization that has brought thousands of out-of-school girls into classrooms in some of the country’s most underserved and remote villages; Shaahina Ali of the Maldives, a marine conservationist who has dedicated her life to protecting fragile ecosystems while tackling the twin challenges of plastic pollution and waste management; and Fr. Flavie Villanueva of the Philippines, a Catholic priest whose decade-long work has centered on upholding human rights and providing dignity to the poor, marginalized, and victims of violence. Often described as Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has been bestowed annually since 1958 on transformative leaders and organizations that embody the values of integrity, selfless service, and people-centered leadership exemplified by the late Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay. Over the decades, the award has honored luminaries such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who received it in 1962 before gaining global recognition; the Dalai Lama, who was awarded in 1959 for his moral leadership; Japanese anthropologist and environmentalist Masanobu Fukuoka in 1988; and more recently, Filipino investigative journalist Maria Ressa in 2018, prior to her Nobel Peace Prize. Foundation president Aurelio Montinola III said this year’s awardees continue that tradition of “quiet but resolute leadership in the service of humanity.” “These men and women remind us that the pursuit of justice, education, and environmental stewardship is not only urgent but necessary if we are to secure a more equitable and sustainable Asia,” Montinola said in a statement. Educate Girls, founded in 2007, mobilized communities and governments to bridge gender gaps in education, particularly in Rajasthan and other Indian states with high dropout rates among girls. Shaahina Ali, through her work with local NGOs and international partners, has campaigned for systemic solutions to the Maldives’ growing waste crisis while empowering coastal communities to take part in conservation efforts. Meanwhile, Fr. Villanueva, through his Arnold Janssen Kalinga Foundation, provided shelter, livelihood programs, and psychosocial support to marginalized Filipinos, while advocating for human rights in the face of violence and inequality.