President Benigno Aquino (centre) with the 2011 Ramon Magsaysay award winners during their courtesy call at the presidential palace in Manila yesterday.

The award, often described as Asia’s Nobel Prize, is named after former Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay, who died in a 1957 plane crash. From left to right: Tri Mumpuni of Indonesia,  Nileema Mishra of India, Koul Panha of Cambodia, President Aquino, Hasanain Juaini of Indonesia, Harish Hande of India and Auke Idzenga, of Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI), from the Philippines.