My family and I are deeply moved by the foundation's gesture of honor to me. In honoring me, you honor our president and her government, and you affirm that the government's authority and power are the shield and sword of our people, instruments for liberation from the bondage of societal inequity.

You also honor the men and women of the Department of Health and the Peace Commission, whose intelligence and hard work, professional skills and personal savvy, unyielding courage and unintimidated perseverance serve as the cutting edge of social reforms. And you honor the Filipino people who deserve nothing less than our very best.

This award is a celebration of the essence of Ramon Magsaysay, his common sense and uncommon passion, his authority and the power of his office—all of which he used in the service of our people so that "those who have less in life may have more in law."

Ours is a world and nation in rapid transition. Never have things changed more quickly than they do now. Never have we been more uncertain and confused. Never have we been in greater need of anchors to hold onto.

For Ramon Magsaysay that anchor was service to the people. To that I would now suggest that our nation requires service from the people. Too long we have forgotten that only a people who serve, deserve to be served.

In this light, two new qualifications are added to the call for a Ramon Magsaysay for our times. The first is: what are we doing to get the Magsaysay we need? The second is: the Magsaysay we seek must not just make government serve us; he must move us to serve one another.