Mr. Miguel Ramos is the Marketing Director for one of the most revered businesses in the Philippines, yet has always been a master of the perfect work-life balance. While running the marketing arm of the family-owned retail giant, Ramos continued to pursue his passion for travel, and jetset around the world with every chance he got. Hopping from one destination to another gave him the opportunity to find inner peace, immerse in different cultures, set foot in the finest luxury accommodations, and witness breathtaking views of several wonders of the globe.
All that changed, of course, when the pandemic struck in the year 2020. “There are still a lot of places my family and I want to visit, but this pandemic really derailed many of our plans,” he shared in an interview last February. Two whole years, a hundred new recipes, and multiple home improvements later, the slow transition back to normalcy brought him back to his second home. “I think being a member of MPC has never been more important than it was during this pandemic,” he shares. As quarantine restrictions began to loosen up, he mentioned that although travel still wasn’t in the cards for him, MPC was the place he considered his safe space— an escape, a controlled environment and not to mention, a fully vaccinated workforce.
Spending more time at the Club meant seeing familiar faces, enjoying al fresco dining and getting in more exercise once again. While he did get to relax and unwind, Mr. Ramos also took on a major role at the Club as our Aquatics Chairperson. With his fascination for the world of swimming and all things watersports-related, the role excited him very much.
Through spearheading the renovation of the 50-meter pool and carefully planning upcoming events, he aims to encourage young people to experience the physical and mental health benefits of swimming.
One other goal of the Aquatics Committee is to bring back competitive swimming in the Club as a means to develop skill and foster camaraderie among swimmers.
What made you decide to take the position of aquatics chairperson of MPC, knowing that you have other commitments/responsibilities on top of that?
My teenage son is a very avid swimmer and is part of MPC’s Galaxy Starships swim team so he spends a lot of time in the pool. More importantly, I have seen firsthand how the sport has positively impacted both his development and that of his teammates. I took on this role to be able to encourage young people to experience the same thing he [my son] did.
What do you have planned for the coming months for your committee? Any upcoming competitions/events?
Now that we have finally entered Alert Level 1, we have been able to realistically think about more activities and competitions. We hope to start with some Time Trials or a Club Championship within the MPC community, and eventually invite other teams to participate in larger meets when things really start to normalize. Also, our current roster of coaches offer different specialties from “learn to swim” for kids, all the way up to competitive swimming. There really is something for anyone interested in swimming as a competitive sport, as an exercise or just a way to have fun. In addition, one of our Members, Mr. Bobbit Suntay will soon offer classes in freediving which is a fascinating way to enjoy the oceans as an alternative to scuba diving.
What is your favorite thing about swimming?
The sport develops discipline, builds character, teaches commitment and strengthens a trait that we all wish our kids would have more of – resilience. Swimming is one of those sports where there are no judges, no teammates (except on relays) and is as close as you are going to get to just “competing with yourself”. When you are in the water racing, you have nobody else to rely on but yourself. So much of the sport is mental as opposed to purely physical. This pandemic has made the mental aspect even more important as it has been extremely difficult for these kids to keep training for 2 years without any competitions to look forward to.
What benefits or improvements do we expect from the newly-renovated 50m swimming pool?
The 50-meter pool is basically a brand new pool. It has been completely redesigned with new diving blocks and an updated overflow gutter design to minimize waves. The pipes and pumps were replaced and new pace clocks are about to be installed.
There aren’t many 50 meter pools in the middle of the city, so one of the Sports Committee’s goals was to make our “new” pool a competitive facility that all the Members can be proud of and somewhere we can host competitions in the near future.
Mr. Ramos continues to be an inspiration to all of us for his hard work and dedication to the Manila Polo Club. While some of us are still having trouble jumpstarting a life in the new normal, Mr. Ramos encourages us to take things slow, and ease ourselves back into the routines that once gave us comfort— or find new ones! Take swimming, for example. With some of our plans still on hold, we can always go back to the Club just as he did, and find rest and solitude in our second home.