A sportsman for all seasons

Many years ago, former two-time Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president and four-term Surigao del Norte governor Jose Sering sent me a copy of a speech he delivered at a Sports Summit in Baguio in 1992.

Gov. explained the POC’s role and mission in the speech. He said "the POC cannot compromise itself by kowtowing to any group, government or private (but) by no means does it mean, though, that the POC exists in isolation – it simply means that it conducts its interactions with impartiality and integrity."

In the same speech, Gov. laid out the framework for a no-nonsense national sports development program. He spoke about "going to the grassroots, to every nook and cranny of this archipelago where there are known inhabitants who may be tapped for nurturing and development into top-rate athletes." He pointed out the priority of establishing the basic sports infrastructure and facilities in places of the greatest accessibility.

And he put a premium on foreign exposure.

Gov. also exhorted sports officials to listen to their "overactive" critics. "They could be truly unfair (as) they are scarcely interested in being told what good you have done (because) to them, that is your duty and responsibility," he said. "Simply put, what they want to see is action."

Gov.’s simple and succinct message left a lasting impression on me. A lot of work must be done to put a national sports program on track. There must be coordination and cooperation among the sectors that contribute to the development of the program. There must be impartiality and integrity in the manner by which the sectors interact. And at the end of the day, there must be results.

In his lifetime, Gov. was an inspiration to all who were involved in sports. He was the ultimate model of a visionary sports official who knew how to get things done. He used his political savvy to advantage in dealing with world leaders for the Philippines to gain respect and recognition.

Gov.’s first involvement in sports was organizing the Surigao del Norte Amateur Athletic Federation in 1965. As provincial governor, he formed a stable of more than 300 athletes who were given allowances, free meals, accommodation, and scholarships. Gov. tapped former Olympian Major Alejo Dopeno as Athletic Director and a wide range of coaches–including track and field’s Isaac Gomez, softball’s Guillermo Daanton, and swimming’s Bana Sailani–to conduct training all year round. From the stable emerged such athletes as hurdler Agrifina de la Cruz, javelin thrower Erlinda Lavandia, baseball’s Estipular brothers, marathoner Edmundo Fermalin, volleyball’s Emma Reynoso, and swimming’s Roosevelt Adulgafar. For more than a decade, Gov’s tracksters dominated the national scene. That was when Gov. realized he could make a difference in sports.

In 1969, Gov. was elected Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president–a position he held until 1991 upon his elevation as chairman. In 1973, he founded the Asian Amateur Athletic Association and was voted its first president. In 1981, Gov. was awarded the Veterans’ Pin, a prestigious honor, during the International Amateur Athletic Federation Congress in Athens. In 1984, he was voted POC president. In 1988, he was reelected as POC president. It was during Gov.’s watch that the Philippines hosted the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and tied Indonesia for most gold medals at 91. It was also Gov. who produced such stars as Lydia de Vega and Elma Muros. And of course, Gov. made a basketball hero out of his nephew Jun Limpot.

As I paid my respects to Gov. last Friday, I could almost see a smile on his handsome face. He had lived a full life of 76 years and contributed more than his fair share of putting the Philippines in the world sports map. He was an inspiration during his lifetime, I thought, but as his legacy lives on, he will remain an inspiration even in death.

The POC flag was draped on his metal casket. Gov.’s daughter-in-law Ningning said POC president Celso Dayrit brought the flag to the funeral parlor last Thursday. Gov. was Dayrit’s mentor. And he was PATAFA president Go Teng Kok’s mentor, too. There would’ve surely been a quorum if the POC held a general assembly at Gov.’s wake in Sucat last Thursday.

A C-130 plane flew Gov. to Surigao City yesterday. He will be buried in his home province next Saturday.

Ningning, who is married to Gov.’s eldest son Nicanor or Boy, said it was just like Gov. to die the way he did. He passed away on Valentine’s Day at about 8:30 a.m. after greeting his wife Coring on long distance telephone. Gov. was in his Las Piñas home where his youngest child Lucille lives while his wife was in Surigao. Gov. was booked to fly home the next day.

"If he had passed away in Surigao, his friends in Manila wouldn’t have been able to see him and say goodbye," said Ningning. "After greeting my mother-in-law a happy Valentine’s day, he had breakfast and started reading the newspapers. That was when he suffered the heart attack."

Gov. underwent bypass surgery in 1990–before the Beijing Asian Games. Some five years ago, he lost his right leg–from under the knee–to arrest infection from diabetes. And two years ago, he was fitted a prosthetic leg in New York. The ailments didn’t stop Gov. from attending major international sports meets as the Philippine delegation’s senior statesman. Last year, he was at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur but his failing health led to a brief hospitalization during the competitions.

Ningning, who worked with Gov. at the POC, said aside from her father-in-law’s sports accomplishments, he was known for his big heart. "Anyone who went to him for help never walked away empty-handed–there would be some money or a referral for a job or hope for a better life," she said.

Gov. has walked away from this life but all of us whom he left behind are blessed with the hope and inspiration from a good man who was a sportsman for all seasons.