Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation launches TED-inspired video series

For 58 years, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation have recognized champions of change and collective action in government and public service, providing bright spots for situations that may feel bleak and hopeless.

The foundation is taking a step forward by launching a new video series with the hope of reaching more people and nurturing future laureates by telling the story of their awardees.

"For several decades now, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation has recognized and honored individuals and organizations who have inspired us as they move from strength to strength," Cynthia Bautista, trustee of the foundation, told the press on Wednesday.

"For several decades now, the inspiring lives of the Magsaysay laureates came to our awareness through the award ceremonies and the books that have been written about them."

They took inspiration from the TED Talks, a series of lectures conducted by influential personalities and experts in different fields, and created the Asian Leaders Talk or ALT.

The result is an online video series focusing on transformative leaders and their insights on social good.

Featured on the first episode is industrialist Washington SyCip, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee in 1992. Sycip was interviewed by Cheche Lazaro, who is also a former trustee of the foundation.

SyCip and Lazaro discuss the problems that continue to plague Manila and the rest of the Philippines like traffic and the seeming dearth of great leaders.

Talking traffic

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Traffic is an engineering problem, according to SyCip. He explained that an engineer is in the best position to understand and provide a solution to the worsening situation on the roads of the city.

As for the absence of great leaders, SyCip boldly stated that it is because of two factors: "Because we are a Christian nation and we have democracy."

He emphasized that both work against the Filipinos and that the non-Christian countries in the ASEAN region has moved ahead of the Philippines in terms of policies.

"We have educated leaders, but how do they carry out policies?" SyCip said. "Every leader wanted a reduction in the population, but the Church completely opposes."

He also theorized that veering away from the Western idea of democracy might bring about the changes that Filipinos have been seeking for so long.

SyCip believes that Lee Kuan Yew is still an outstanding model because he knew the needs of the people. SyCip additionally stated that the focus of a good leader should be turning the bottom poor into productive citizens.

SyCip's own "zero dropout program" CARD-MRI, an educational loan project for those in need, has kept over 200,000 students in school to get basic education.

The ALT videos will be available online for free through the official accounts of the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation. —JST, GMA News