Filipino agricultural scientist wins RM Award

Dr. Romulo Davide. Photo from https://sntpost.stii.dost.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines–A Filipino scientist who has devoted his life to addressing problems that confront the agriculture industry is among this year’s recipient of Asia’s Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Romulo Davide is being recognized for “his steadfast passion in placing the power and discipline of science in the hands of farmers in the Philippines, who have consequently multiplied their yields, created productive farming communities, and rediscovered the dignity of their labor.”

Davide is hailed as the “Father of Plant Nematology” for his many years of teaching and groundbreaking research on nematode pests that infest, debilitate, and destroy agricultural crops.

Apart from Davide, individuals from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan will receive Asia’s premier prize, which is often described as Asia’s Nobel Prize, according to the Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF).

The award, named after former president Ramon Magsaysay who died in a 1957 plane crash, aims to honor people who address issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity.