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2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award winners bared

2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award winners bared

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.

Giovanni Lopez pledges to continue and expand DOTr reforms

Giovanni Lopez pledges to continue and expand DOTr reforms

GIOVANNI Lopez has vowed to ensure continuity at the Department of Transportation (DOTr), pledging to sustain and expand the reforms and projects launched by his predecessor, Secretary Vince Dizon. “As acting secretary, I will ensure continuity and build upon the gains achieved — particularly in advancing transport modernization and supporting initiatives that prioritize commuter safety, efficiency, and seamless project delivery,” Lopez said. Lopez, a lawyer from Tuguegarao, Cagayan, began his public service career in the DOTr’s legal service before moving up to key posts overseeing procurement and project implementation in rail, aviation, and maritime transport. From 2020 to 2022, he served as chief of staff to then-Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade, playing a behind-the-scenes role in steering policy and infrastructure development at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He was part of the DOTr team that rolled out logistical support for quarantine facilities and helped shape the department’s “Oplan Air” program, which sought to modernize public transport through fleet expansion, new routes, and electronic ticketing. His technical and administrative expertise later earned him a Cabinet-level appointment: in February 2025, Dizon tapped him as undersecretary for Administration, Finance, and Procurement. Colleagues describe Lopez as a quiet operator who combines legal training with project management experience. A graduate of San Beda College of Law, he earlier finished cum laude at Saint Paul University Philippines and is also an alumnus of the University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao, whose community hailed his latest appointment as a “proud moment” for their institution. Lopez inherits both the momentum and the pressure of delivering on large-scale modernization, from rail expansion and airport upgrades to maritime connectivity and road transport reforms. His challenge, analysts say, is to carry forward the ambitious agenda while ensuring stability at a time of leadership transition across key infrastructure agencies.

Gomez-Estoesta named court administrator by Supreme Court

Gomez-Estoesta named court administrator by Supreme Court

THE Supreme Court has appointed Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta as the new court administrator. She took her oath of office on Monday before Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo. Gomez-Estoesta replaced former court administrator Raul Villanueva, who was recently appointed as an associate justice of the high tribunal. With 34 years of distinguished government service, Gomez-Estoesta began her legal career as a solicitor at the Office of the Solicitor General in 1991. She joined the judiciary in 2002 as presiding judge of Branch 6 of the Metropolitan Trial Court in Manila. In 2006, she was promoted to presiding judge of Branch 7 of the Manila Regional Trial Court, a position she held until her appointment to the Sandiganbayan in 2014. At the anti-graft court, she chaired the Seventh Division. A multi-awarded jurist, Gomez-Estoesta received the Judicial Excellence Award for Most Outstanding Judge for First-Level Courts and Best Decision in Criminal Cases in 2005. In 2012, she was honored with the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award as Most Outstanding Judge for Second-Level Courts. Beyond the bench, she has contributed significantly to legal education as a faculty member at the Ateneo de Manila School of Law since 2015 and as a professorial lecturer at the Philippine Judicial Academy. She also served as a bar examiner for Remedial Law and Legal Ethics in the 2024 Bar Examinations. Gomez-Estoesta earned her law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and passed the Bar in 1991. She also holds a cum laude degree in political science from De La Salle University, where she received the Gold Medal for Excellence in Political Science. The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), established under Presidential Decree 828 (as amended by PD 842), assists the Supreme Court in the administration and supervision of all lower courts nationwide. As part of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), the OCA is undergoing modernization to enhance its efficiency, regional support, and service delivery. Under the new structure, the court administrator will lead a central OCA leadership team responsible for setting overall strategy and policy direction for trial courts. Administrative functions are being decentralized to the newly established Office of the Regional Court Manager (ORCM) across all judicial regions, with six interim ORCMs launched in 2024 as part of these ongoing reforms.

Lacson to govt: Protect education budget

Lacson to govt: Protect education budget

SEN. Panfilo Lacson called on the executive department to guard the education sector’s budget to ensure that it will always get the biggest allocation. Lacson, during the briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on Monday, lamented that for 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) got a budget of P1.007 trillion, higher than the P977.6 billion for the education sector, which include the Department of Education (DepEd), State Colleges and Universities (SUCs), Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda). Lacson asked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) not to be an “accessory” in violating the 1987 Constitution. “You need to remind legislators not to realign too much because we may be violating the Constitution. When you potentially violate the Constitution, that’s a major issue,” he told Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman in Filipino. “Why did we allow the DPWH to get a bigger budget than the education sector? I hate to say this but the DBM became an accessory after the fact, to justify the congressional miracle where the education sector’s budget was slashed,” Lacson said. Pangandaman said that the Constitution does not categorically define the education sector, but Lacson replied that the President’s 2026 budget message indicated the education sector’s budget covers only the DepEd, SUCs, CHEd, and Tesda. Under Art. XIV, Sec. 5 (5) of the Constitution, the State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching attracts and retains the best talent through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment. Lacson said that to correct the shift, the DBM “added” to the education sector institutions outside the President’s budget message, such as the Local Government Academy, Philippine National Police Academy, Philippine Public Safety College, National Defense College of the Philippines, Philippine Military Academy, Philippine Science High School System, and the Science Education Institute. Lacson reminded the DBM “to be consistent next time.” He emphasized the need for closer coordination between the legislature and the Executive Branch, especially at the bicameral conference committee where major realignments occur. “Watch the progress of the budget bill, especially at the bicameral conference committee. We know that is where the biggest realignments occur,” he said. “My suggestion is that if Congress again mangles the budget, the President should veto the amount exceeding the budget of the education sector so that the budget of the DPWH or any other agency will not be bigger than that of the education sector, since the executive department cannot realign funds,” Lacson said.

Solon cites ‘painful’ gap between `nepo babies,' ordinary students

Solon cites ‘painful’ gap between `nepo babies,' ordinary students

MANILA, Philippines — Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Louise Co on Monday decried what she called the “painful contrast” between the lavish lives of political “nepo babies” and the struggles of ordinary students forced to endure underfunded universities, overcrowded classrooms, and unfinished infrastructure projects. In a privilege speech, Co lamented how corruption in flood-control projects has left youth from farming and working-class families battling poverty and a collapsing education system, instead of experiencing education as the “great equalizer.” READ: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2102416/rage-over-infra-deals-vented-on-nepo-babies “While there are children of dynasties living in luxury, the true scholars of the nation are struggling while tired and hungry in […]... Keep on reading: Solon cites ‘painful’ gap between `nepo babies,' ordinary students