YESTERDAY morning (Monday) I was in utter disbelief upon reading the reactions and comments on a post Sir Raymund Antolo of the Department of Education-Northern Mindanao made on his Facebook wall.
Sir Raymund, who has been overseeing Northern Mindanao's school-based sports, acknowledged Megdonio Ragmac Llamera's lifelong leadership in sports promotion and development which immensely helped him what he is today.
That prompted me to ask Sir Raymund point-blank what happened to Sir Megs.
"Sir Megs has joined our Maker this 9 a.m.," was his response.
I wanted to write my reaction immediately but I cannot. Just an emoticon of sadness was what I could do at that time.
Now I have enough emotional strength to collect my thoughts on the years I was with Sir Megs.
He was like a father to me for the more than 10 years I assisted him in whatever capacity I can, mostly relative to his being the regional organizer of MILO's Marathon, Little Olympics and Summer Clinics and my being an active media practitioner then, in print and in broadcast media.
When I met him at his office at the basement of the sports center about 20 years ago, I know I was with an icon of sports in this part of the country, his life was a living testament of what sports can do for one to succeed in life. His name was already synonymous to sports then.
In our casual conversations, I found out his passion for sports and physical fitness were evident from his childhood in Alubijid town.
While his skill in pitching baseballs was envied by his generation and brought him to Japan to represent the Philippines as the team's pitcher, it was his honesty that I admire him the most.
He would narrate to me how he managed to finish high school and college being a topnotch athlete but it was in baseball he excelled the most, demonstrating to me how he gripped the ball for it to create a curve as it travels towards the catcher on the other end.
How Sir Megs gained the respect of his peers and all those who have been engaged into sports--many of them several decades younger, would difficult to surpass.
In one occasion, while we were overseeing a MILO Marathon in Iligan, Sir Megs surprised me with his regimen.
Since we were in a room at Maria Cristina Hotel together and called it a night by 10 p.m. I was overconfident I will be his "cane," as it were, in going to the public plaza at 5 a.m. where the start and finish lines for the road run are.
Unexpectedly, I was awaken by his voice on the loud speakers, welcoming the early birds, at the city's plaza. I checked my timepiece and it was only 3:45 a.m.
Though he already difficulty in walking, I still perceive him to be indefatigable!
Although he had a masteral degree in physical education from the University of the Philippines, organizer of the 1976 Palarong Pambansa, and regional chief on physical education and school sports for Northern Mindanao of then Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, he would set aside his superior knowledge and vast experiences.
In preparing for MILO sports programs, he would calendar series of consultative and consensual meetings for attendees which he described as the technical experts in various sports disciplines.
Sir Megs listened to suggestions and for that MILO Little Olympics National Finals was conceived.
At one time, while we had dinner after the awarding of the top performing schools and athletes, I told him: "After this, what's next for the best athletes from Mindanao, Sir Megs?" A week later, I gave him a concept proposal for a MILO Little Olympics National Finals. Sir Megs and I got the good news a year later from then MILO sports executive Pat Goc-ong and the first ever MILO Little Olympics National Finals was held for the first time in Cebu with Visayas as host.
In the stagings of Palarong Pambansa, often his technical and managerial expertise was sought by organizers.
For several years he had the opportunity of being the secretary of the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Council that oversees the operation of Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center in Cagayan de Oro.
There were offers to him for a seat in the Philippine Sports Commission and be in the limelight in national ports but he repeatedly turned them down.
Sir Megs was candidly down-to-earth and has no qualms of keeping secrets even on details of his courtship to Ignacia "Dinday" Galgao, the first teacher of barangay Biga and daughter of the first mayor of Lugait, Misamis Oriental.
Sir Megs had the distinction also as the first municipal secretary of Lugait.
Aside from his active involvement in sports, Sir Megs served as punong barangay of Benigwayan, Alubijid for three terms and sat as ex-officio member of the municipal council after he was elected federation president of the association of barangay chairmen.
In search for answers, I learned from a reliable source Sir Megs passed away due to leukemia, the same cancer of the blood that cut short the sterling performance of 23-year old table tennis Ian Lariba.
Being the Philippines' flag-bearer in Rio Olympics 2016 and the country's first-ever table tennis Olympian, Lariba was a product of MILO Little Olympics-Mindanao.
Sir Megs, who would have turned 85 in December, joined his Creator last Sept. 24, 2018. His body lies at the St. Peter's Memorial Chapel in Iponan for two nights and would be brought to his hometown Alubijid and then to Ma'am Dinday's hometown Lugait for a night each.
To Ma'am Dinday and members of the Llamera, Ragmac and Galgao clans, my heartfelt sympathies.
Requiesce in pace, Sir Megs. (Uriel Quilinguing)