MANILA, Philippines -- Forbes magazine has named four top Filipino business executives -- Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II, John Gokongwei Jr., Oscar M. Lopez and Ramon del Rosario Jr. -- as among the “Heroes of Philanthropy” in Asia.

It was the first time that Forbes had issued such a list, which included 48 philanthropists from 12 Asian countries, four from each country.

This was how Forbes described the four Filipino businessmen:

RAMON DEL ROSARIO JR., 63

President and chief executive of investment firm Phinma, co-founded by his father in 1956 as Philippine Investment Management.

Longtime patron of De La Salle schools, which have elementary schools, high schools and universities around the country.

Recently launched a campaign for Philippine Business for Social Progress to raise $25 million for the Pinoy Micro-Enterprise Social Investment Fund, which will help microfinance institutions extend loans to poorer customers.

JAIME AUGUST ZOBEL DE AYALA II, 49

Chair and chief executive of conglomerate Ayala Corp.

Serves as co-vice chair of the Ayala Foundation, which focuses on improving elementary education, developing young leaders, boosting environmental protection, increasing access to technology, and supporting arts and culture. It’s now coordinating a project to set up computer labs in all 6,300 of the country’s public schools.

He argues that businesses must work aggressively to solve the country’s immense problems of poverty.

JOHN GOKONGWEI JR., 81

Founder and chair emeritus of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings.

Announced at his 80th birthday celebration in August 2006 that he was giving half of his shares of the company -- worth $200 million then -- to the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, which he chairs.

That donation is the country’s largest ever and is now funding the first batch of 34 Filipino postgraduates -- Gokongwei Brothers Foundation China Scholars -- who are in Beijing for 14 months to study the country’s language and culture.

OSCAR M. LOPEZ, 77

Chair of the Lopez Inc. media group, which controls ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.

Family has been wealthy since the 19th century. Donated 37 acres of family land to 116 Guimaras Island families still suffering from the 2006 oil spill. Lopez Group Foundation is helping to set up a cooperative farming venture there.

In 1999 he started First Philippine Conservation, which works to protect country’s largest remaining block of old-growth rainforest in Sierra Madre range.