Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2018: India's Sonam Wangchuk and Bharat Vatwani are among the six winners

Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk, the two Indians are honored as the winners of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award among the six winners. This award is considered as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.

Bharat Vatwani (founder of Shraddha Rehabilitation Foundation) was awarded for his tremendous courage and healing compassion in embracing India's mentally-afflicted street paupers to treat and reunite them with their families.

Sonam Wangchuk is founding-director of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL); won the award for his contribution in harnessing nature, culture and education for community progress.

Youk Chhang from Cambodia, Maria de Lourdes Martins Cruz from East Timor, Howard Dee from the Philippines and Vo Thi Hoang Yen from Vietnam are other winners of the award.

Carmencita Abella, president of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said that the winners are clearly Asia's heroes of hope, moving their societies forward through their unequivocal pursuit of the larger good.

Started in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honor. Awarded to Asian individuals and organizations who manifest the selfless service and trans-formative influences akin to the Filipino leader, the award commemorates the third Philippine president.

The winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award will be presented with a certificate, a medallion bearing the likeness of the late President, and a cash prize. The presentation ceremony will be held on August 31, 2018 at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines.