“Marahil ganito na lang ako habambuhay kung hindi ko bibigyan ng pagkakataon ang sarili kong mahanap kung sino at ano ang kakayahan ko. Wala nang pag-asa ang buhay ko. Wala akong determinasyon at lakas ng loob upang pagbutihin ang buhay ko (Maybe I will be like this forever if I will not give myself a chance to find who and what I am capable of. My life is hopeless. I do not have the determination and courage to push my life to be better),” Frederick Ramirez described himself before he decided to engage in sports in 2016. For him, sports paved the way in finding his purpose and a perfect world where he is accepted and celebrated and being a 4Ps beneficiary made his future even brighter. He proudly shared that 4Ps is one of the reasons why he was able to finish high school. For him, complying to the 4Ps conditions is a step closer to achieving his dreams.
Frederick is the fourth among the five children of Eulogio from Santo Tomas, La Union. They were left in the care of his father after the death of his mother in 2016. As a coastal fisherman, Eulogio earns a meager amount to sustain his family needs. Having too little to spend, the family struggles every day. Their destitute situation makes it impossible for Frederick’s family to dream for a better future.
Frederick is one of the quartet Philippine Team who beat Thailand by just .01 of a second for Gold in the final event – men’s 4x400m relay with a time of three minutes, 7.22 seconds during the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia. Aside from this, Frederick also received numerous awards such as 2023 SEA Games Men’s 400m Bronze Medalist, 2021 400m Relay Silver Medalist, 2019 SEA Games Bronze Medalist, and 2019 NCAA Champion.
In 2016, Frederick was a student-athlete at Jose Rizal University Vicente Fabella. “Conquering my life as a student-athlete had a lot of challenges. I triumphantly overcame these with perseverance, patience, and unshakeable fighting spirit. I trained myself to run without thinking of any burden. I run not only for myself but more especially for my family. I did not search for sports but it found me,” Frederick shared.
Way back in high school, he claimed that 4Ps was one of the reasons why he was able to graduate. He always made sure that he is always in school and put his best foot forward. This became the turning point of his life to prioritize his studies and cultivate his talents.
The hardships of his family are his driving force to be bold in kicking up his heels heading to a brighter and comfortable life. (by: Arlem Kenneth R. Areola, Project Development Officer II- NGA Focal Person with inputs from Jaesem Ryan A. Gaces, Information Officer II)
