In our culture, and just like in any culture in the world, it is common to see brilliant men and women being noticed by business or political patrons.
And since these patrons have visions on how to build their businesses or their community, they usually would seek the assistance of the bright men and women.
Such is the case of William “Butch” Ramirez, a humble gentleman and sportsman from Padada, Davao del Sur, who started serving as sports consultant of Mayor Digong, the political patron.
Being identified as Mayor Digong’s man in sports, this has opened opportunities for coach Butch, then a basketball coach and sports director of Ateneo de Davao University.
Then came opportunities like becoming regional director, commissioner and eventually chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, an agency under the Office of the President.
At that time, Mayor Digong was not even the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
In 2005, chairman Ramirez and his team delivered the over-all championship for the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games.
I was supposed to cover the SEA Games at that time but the PSC executive director then, Atty.Guillermo Iroy Jr., who just celebrated his birthday on Thursday (Dec.26), tempted me to go somewhere else. “Gawas sa, aron ma tatakan imong passport. Wa man nay tatak pa, maski usa”. True. So I flew with the Philippine Team to the Asia Pacific Games in Melbourne with the help of a business patron, basketball regional director Regino “Boy” Cua. Hence, the “tatak” on the passport.
This kind of generosity actually inspired me to give to others the chance to cover an international sports event. Having “sports patrons” of my own, I would normally make recommendations to embed one Davao Sportswriters Association member to a sports team joining an international meet. First, it was Rico Biliran of Mindanews, then Charles Maxey of Sunstar Davao, then Leonard Palo of Mindanao Mirror (but his passport was expired) that paved the way for Neil Bravo to go abroad instead (he is a Boy Scout, laging handa, hahahaha). I also recommended the name of the late Edgar Arro of the Mindanao Times but the team did not push through at that time. Para ma “tatakan” ang passport and experience the beautiful experiences I had.
When Mayor Digong sent Butch Ramirez to the Arafura Games, that actually changed Butch’s perspective of the world of sports. He was no longer thinking local. He has started thinking international.
At the sports office at City Hall, Butch posted on the wall a photocopy of the design of the Marrara Sports Complex, venue of the Arafura Games in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. It was like setting a goal, that one day his political patrons will build a sports facility for the people of Davao similar to that of beautiful Marrara Sports Complex. Years later, we finally had a UP Mindanao-Davao City Sports Complex.
Then came 2016, the “probinsiyano” mayor became presidente. Who else would he call to take care of sports development? Eh di si Butch.
Butch would work even harder this time as a second time chairman of the PSC.
This is Mayor Digong, ladies and gentlemen, who does not like sports shenanigans. In fact, he hates them. And there’s plenty of them in Manila, Manila, and that is why I don’t like coming back to Manila.
In order to show respect to the “patron”, any sports bureaucrat would do his or her best to make good the marching order. And chairman Butch, always had that in mind.
Under the Duterte administration, the sports for peace program was revived, national athletes are happy athletes these days, bright boys like Prof.Henry Daut runs the Philippine Sports Institute, the Mindanao office of the PSC was re-opened and is now headed by Prof. Ed Fernandez.
Then came the hosting of the SEA Games.
Oh yes, you hear a lot of troubles besetting the hosts but silently working very hard to ensure the success are the men and women of the PSC.
And the result was outstandingly beautiful.
The Philippines won the over-all championship trophy!
And who was so delighted and proud of the result? The patron, Mayor Digong, the presidente.
Mao na, pwerte gyud mong swerteha mga national athletes karong panahona.
But the work actually is not over. With newly-built sports facilities, a program must be set in place to keep the sports program going and use those beautiful sports venues whole year-round.
Yet, Mayor Digong’s term will be over in a few years’ time, in 2022.
The question is who would continue the sports legacy left by the Mayor Digong administration?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Abangan!
