Press Release
September 6, 2022

Senate lauds Dr. Madrid for bagging 2022 Ramon Magsaysay Award

The Senate of the Philippines on Tuesday, September 6, commended Dr. Bernadette J. Madrid for winning the 2022 Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia's most prestigious honor, which is considered as the continent's version of the Nobel Prize.

In its plenary session, the chamber adopted Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 173, authored by Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., taking into consideration SRNs 174, 181 and 186 authored by Senators Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid, Risa Hontiveros and Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, respectively. All members were made co-authors of the resolution.

Dubbed by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation as a children's rights crusader, Dr. Madrid is cited for "her unassuming and steadfast commitment to a noble and demanding advocacy; her leadership in running a multisectoral, multidisciplinary effort in child protection that is admired in Asia; and her competence and compassion in devoting herself to seeing that every abused child lives in a healing, safe, and nurturing society."

Dr. Madrid is joined by three other 2022 Ramon Magsaysay awardees, including Sotheara Chhim of Cambodia, a mental health advocate; Tadashi Hattori of Japan, a sight-saving humanitarian; and Gary Bencheghib of Indonesia, an anti-plastic pollution warrior.

In his sponsorship speech, Revilla said that apart from her being an accomplished clinician and educator, Dr. Madrid has always been in service for the Filipino people.

"Mr. President, we live in very uncertain times brought about by the pandemic. Now more than ever we need leaders - model citizens who can give us hope and we, especially our youth, can emulate and precisely, Dr. Madrid is worthy of the commendation," Revilla said.

"In recognizing Dr. Madrid, we are reminded, especially us public servants, to be steadfast, genuine and hopeful in our service to the people," he added.

For her part, Hontiveros recalled when Dr. Madrid assisted her office in securing testimonies of child witnesses in the murder of Kian delos Santos. She said that Dr. Madrid's help is "testament of her enduring work as a stalwart champion and defender of every Filipino child."

"My most heartful congratulations to Dr. Madrid, whose work as a doctor, educator, social leader, and an advocate of the rights and welfare of every Filipino child is worthy of Asia's premier prize and highest honor," the lady senator said.

Hontiveros also asked the chamber to consider awarding Dr. Madrid the Senate Medal of Excellence which is reserved to recognize Filipinos who are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Pulitzer Prize, the A.M. Turing Award, an Olympic medal, and the Ramon Magsaysay award.

Dr. Madrid is an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, and Director of the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila - Philippine General Hospital's (PGH) Child Protection Unit (CPU) since its establishment in 1997. The PGH-CPU provides social, legal and medical health services for abused kids and their families.

Likewise, Dr. Madrid is the Executive Director of the Child Protection Network (CPN) Foundation, Inc., a non-governmental organization that trains Child Protection Professionals. CPN aims to have at least one Child Protection Unit or Women and Children Protection Unit in every province of the Philippines.

Dr. Madrid was also named as the 2021 Most Outstanding Pediatrician by the Philippine Pediatric Society, and received the 2012 Outstanding Service Award on Child Protective Services from the National Children's Advocacy Center USA.

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