Dr. Doris Magsaysay Ho is 2026 Ramon V. del Rosario Nation Building Awardee
Dr. Doris Magsaysay Ho, President and CEO of the Magsaysay Group of Companies, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR) Nation Building Award for her transformative contributions to the global maritime industry and Filipino workforce development, the Award’s Board of Judges Chair Retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban announced on Wednesday. Magsaysay Ho is the first woman to receive the recognition, marking a crucial milestone in the Award’s history.
Named in honor of Ambassador Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR), founder of the PHINMA Group of Companies, the RVR Award for Nation-Building is jointly organized by the PHINMA Group with Junior Chamber International (JCI) Manila, De La Salle University, and Asian Institute of Management. It recognizes business leaders who embody entrepreneurial spirit, national and global impact, and a commitment to corporate citizenship and social responsibility.
“Dr. Doris Magsaysay Ho pioneered the Philippine maritime industry’s transformation into a globally respected sector while, in equal measure, expanding opportunities for Filipino seafarers and contributing to national progress. Her leadership has shown that shipping is not merely about connecting ports and markets, but also about advancing the welfare of the people who keep the industry moving,” said Mr. Panganiban.
“Measured against every criterion the award has applied through the years, the strongest record belongs, for the first time, to a woman, whose career embodies what Amb. del Rosario believed business should ultimately do: make lives better,” PHINMA Chairman and CEO and RVR Nation-Building Award Board of Judges Co-Chair Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr. said.
For Magsaysay Ho, the asset was not the ship but the Filipino worker. Beyond operational scale, her career is defined by an emphasis on the dignity and development of her people.
Following her industrial design education at Pratt Institute in New York, she returned to, and eventually took over, the family business. She led the Magsaysay Group’s expansion from its origins as a domestic shipping firm into one of Asia’s largest suppliers of sea manpower and a diversified conglomerate spanning logistics, human resources, hospitality, and travel. In 2024, Pratt Institute conferred on her an honorary Doctor of Humane Arts.
Her accomplishments include partnering with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines in 2018 to establish the 13.7-hectare MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy in Dasmariñas, Cavite designed to train up to 1,000 maritime students. The Magsaysay Group also implemented progressive welfare initiatives under her leadership, including its social development arm Homer Foundation; employee-led support networks like Fundamayan; and MATTERS, a comprehensive crew welfare system addressing health, mental wellness, financial literacy, and career advancement. The Magsaysay Group was also the first Philippine maritime company to earn the EDGE Assess certification for workplace gender equity, with women currently occupying 45 percent of its junior management roles.
In the international stage, Magsaysay Ho represented the Philippines on the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) from 2006 to 2016—where she served as ABAC Chair in 2015, the year the Philippines hosted APEC. For this feat, she earned the Order of Gawad Mabini, Rank of Commander—the second highest tier of the Gawad Mabini Presidential Award given to Filipino diplomats, Foreign Service personnel, and individuals who have rendered exceptional service or successfully championed the interests and reputation of the Philippines across the globe. In 2023, she was also appointed as the first woman to chair The Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association, a leading global protection and indemnity club.
Since 2003, Doris Magsaysay Ho has served as Chair of Asia Society Philippines Foundation and currently also serves as a Trustee of the global Asia Society in New York. Asia Society promotes understanding of Asia through education and cultural exchange and, under her leadership, the Foundation brought Philippine heritage to the world stage with the landmark “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms exhibition at Asia Society Museum in New York”.
The award will be conferred to Magsaysay Ho at the Ramon V. del Rosario Award for Nation Building formal awarding ceremony in November coinciding with PHINMA’s 70th Anniversary celebration.
Dr. Magsaysay Ho joins fellow esteemed individuals who contributed to nation-building through their businesses and social enterprises: Amb. Howard Dee (2024), Dr. Tony Tan-Caktiong (2022), Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip (2019), Diosdado Banatao (2018), George S.K. Ty (2017), Henry Sy Sr. (2016), Manuel V. Pangilinan (2015), Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (2014), Vicente Paterno (2013), Washington SyCip (2012), Oscar Lopez (2011), Senen Bacani and Amb. Jesus Tambunting (2010).