Your Excellency, President Fidel Ramos; Mrs. Luz Magsaysay; Trustees; Fellow Awardees; Distinguished guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:

I wish to express my deepest appreciation for this great honor. I appreciate this Award particularly because it recognizes the importance of doing common ordinary things by ordinary people everyday. I appreciate it also because the honor comes from the Philippines, where people are involved in a constant flowing process of self-renewal with a deep sense of humor.

What I have been doing is what common people have been doing for centuries: to cherish Life and food which sustains life. Life and food are inseparable. The reverence of Life leads to the reverence of food and nature.

When my friends, ARI graduates and NGO workers and their partners heard the news, hundreds of them sent messages rejoicing the occasion. They said they share the joy. They felt they are honored also. I share exactly the same feeling. This sharing relationship gives us hope and joy. Common people like us find our lives enriched when we share what little we have and work to sustain lives of others, of the present and future, by producing healthy food.

This sharing of life in our time requires us to live a simple life. Simply live a simple style of life.

I have the honor to recognize the presence among us of Mother Teresita Villaluz and other Augustinian sisters of the La Consolacion Convent. For many years they have been a source of inspiration for us to maintain a simple life. And today’s honor inspires us to keep on living by simply serving others, especially those who are in need.