The last 100 days

We are fast approaching the last 100 days of the current administration. The countdown begins the middle of next week. Traditionally, the press count the first 100 days, a yardstick media contrivance to track how quickly a new government settles in. Therefore, we will also be counting down the last 100 days of the present Philippine Sports Commission, which has done an excellent job of guiding our national athletes to unprecedented heights in the last six years, in partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee.

In 2016, Chairman Butch Ramirez was appointed back to the Commission, and functioned singularly as the board for over two months until his four commissioners were appointed by President Duterte. Since then, the country has broken many barriers, including a historic four-medal haul in the Tokyo Olympics led by Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal; a morale-boosting win at the 2019 SEA Games; and many other triumphs. In spite of the pandemic and its devastating effects on the agency’s resources, Ramirez, his board and officers have kept national sports programs on an even keel. And when he received a special Excellence in Leadership award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association, he called his board members up onstage to receive the award with him.

“Good times have an end. A meaningful journey. What an ending: Excellence in Leadership. It’s a beautiful recognition of what I am doing,” Ramirez told The STAR. “But I cannot take the credit. It’s really a team effort.”

Currently, Ramirez is deep into the tail-end of the unpleasant task of mediation between the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and pole vaulter EJ Obiena. Both sides requested Ramirez to personally head the arbitration. After three caucuses with each side and sessions with both parties, Monday is the ultimate deadline for resolution between the two. If neither side will budge, then the arbiters will leave the table. Behind the scenes, there seem to be unseen, uninvolved cooks spoiling the broth.

“We’ve advocated due process, and we wanted to give them that,” Ramirez explains. “We’re not trying to resolve the issues, but provide a platform for them to come together.”

The next administration takes office on July 1. This PSC is urgently completing the manuals and playbooks for the board which will be appointed by the next chief executive, hoping that this will help with continuity. The Southeast Asian Games will be their last hurrah. At 71, Ramirez is leaning towards retirement and a more equanimous life, though he has not totally closed his door to returning to the PSC. He says that the job requires total focus and dedication.

“Based on my experience, it really takes a lot of work and total focus. The next chairman needs the competence and intelligence, the heart and of course, the funds to take the elite athletes and grassroots to the next level,” Ramirez wishes. “If not, we will start from zero again.”

Lord knows we don’t want that to happen.