Manila (AsiaNews) - The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation today announced this year's seven recipients of the foundation's awards. The foundation is considered as Asia's Nobel Prize.

Among the recipients are two Filipinos, Haydee Yorac for government service and Benjamin Abadiano for emergent leadership, Jiang Yanyong of China for public service, Abdullah Abu Sayeed of Bangladesh, Prayong Ronnarong of Thailand for community leadership, Laxminarayan Ramdas of India and Ibn Abdur Rehman of Pakistan, both for peace and international understanding.

Miss Yorac is currently the chair of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, tasked in recovering the ill-gotten wealth from disposed President Ferdinand Marcos and his family. The foundation recognizes her for "Her building the people's confidence in government through  service of exceptional integrity and rigor, and her unwavering pursuit of the rule of law in the Philippines."

Surgeon Dr. Jiang Yanyong of China is said to have been responsible for the containment of the deadly SARS disease in China. He is being recognized for "His brave stand for truth in China, spurring life-saving measures to confront and contain the deadly threat of SARS."

The Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation, established in 1958, honors individuals whose life and work are characterized by selfless service which impacts the lives of the greater many. The foundation was founded to honor former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, who lived by the same principles. (S.E.)