Sir Nick writes 71
EULOGY BY MAYOR EVA MARIE S. MEDINA DURING THE NECROLOGICAL SERVICE IN HONOR OF THE LATE FORMER COUNCILOR NICOMEDES R. RAMIREZ ON APRIL 27, 2012 AT THE VIGAN CITY HALL]
THREE MONTHS AGO, WE GATHERED IN THIS VERY HALL TO BID THE LATE COUNCILOR ALFREDO A. FIGUERRES, JR., FAREWELL. TODAY, WE SAY GOOD BYE TO ANOTHER WELL LOVED MAN WHO HAS LEFT AHEAD OF US, FORMER COUNCILOR NICOMEDES R. RAMIREZ. OUR NECROLOGICAL SERVICES TODAY REMINDS US OF THE MANY EULOGIES HE DELIVERED.
HOW BEAUTIFULLY AND LOVINGLY HE PAID TRIBUTE TO A FALLEN COMRADE, IN WORDS THAT A TRUE FRIEND WOULD EXTOL THE LIFE OF HIS DEPARTED FRIEND. HOW MOVING AND HOPEFUL WERE THE GOOD BYES, HOW SOOTHING WERE HIS GESTURES OF SYMPATHY. THIS DAY, I STAND HERE TO EULOGIZE THE TIMES OF MANG NICK, BUT IT WILL NOT MATCH HIS FLARE FOR ORATION. MANG NICK WAS FIRST AN EDUCATOR, A BARANGAY EXECUTIVE AND A LEGISLATOR OF VIGAN.
IT WOULD THEN HELP HIM SUPPORT HIS YOUNGER SIBLINGS AND LATER RAISE HIS FAMILY. HE FELL IN LOVE WITH A TEACHER LIKE HIM, IN THE PERSON OF MANANG LINA WHO BECAME HIS BEST FRIEND, PARTNER IN LIFE AND MOTHER TO THEIR FOUR CHILDREN. HE MADE THEM PROUD OF HIM AS THEY ALSO MADE HIM PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAVE BECOME AS PROFESSIONALS UNDER HIS AND MANANG LINA’S LOVING WATCH. HIS FAMILY WAS EVERYTHING TO HIM.
MANG NICK’S CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE SPANNED 3 GENERATIONS OF MY FAMILY. HE WORKED WITH MY LATE FATHER MAYOR EVARISTO “ TITONG “ SINGSON AS A COUNCILOR FROM 1981 – 1987; WITH ME, FROM 1995 TO 2004 AS COUNCILOR; WITH MY HUSBAND FERDI AS CONSULTANT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY FROM 2005 – 2007; AND AGAIN WITH ME UP TO THE TIME OF HIS DEMISE. THE THIRD GENERATION IS THAT OF JANINA, WHO AS A YOUNG GIRL WOULD REPRESENT ME IN CITY EVENTS ESPECIALLY IN GRADUATIONS. SHE WOULD TAG ALONG WITH COUNCILOR NICK AND MY DAUGHTER DID LEARN LESSONS FROM HIM IN PUBLIC RELATIONS, HUMOR AND PRACTICAL POLITICS. TO THIS DAY, SHE REFERS TO HIM AS “TATAY NICK” AND HE IN TURN WOULD REFER TO HER AS “MAYORITA”.
IN POLITICS, HE IS ONE PERSON I GREATLY ADMIRE. WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE SAME PARTY IN 1995 BUT HIS POLITICAL AFFILIATION TOOK THE BACK SEAT IN COLLABORATING FOR PROGRAMS THAT HE KNEW WOULD UPLIFT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR PEOPLE. WHEN WE BECAME ALLIES IN 1998 UP TO HIS LAST BREATH, WE NURTURED NOT JUST A WORKING RELATIONSHIP BUT ALSO A LASTING FRIENDSHIP.
HE WAS ABUNDANT IN HIS SUPPORT AND INPUTS TO THIS ADMINISTRATION’S PILLARS OF GOVERNANCE RANGING FROM EDUCATION, SPORTS DEVELOPMENT, PEACE AND ORDER TO CULTURAL PROMOTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. HE WAS THE SENIOR CITIZEN OF THE COUNCIL THEN, BUT ONE OF THE MOST ENERGETIC. HE WAS BRILLIANT AND HIS VIEWS WERE RELEVANT TO THE TIMES. AMONG HIS LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE THE PASSAGE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY CODE OF VIGAN AND THE INCLUSION IN THE VIGAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM OF CHILDREN OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS THOSE OF THE PNP/BFP PERSONNEL ASSIGNED IN VIGAN.
IN 2004, MANY MAY NOT KNOW THAT HE TOO WANTED TO RUN FOR VICE MAYOR AND THOUGH VERY MUCH QUALIFIED AS HE WAS, HE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE NOT TO DO SO TO KEEP PARTY UNITY AND ENSURE THE VICTORY OF OUR CANDIDATE THEN. I DID NOT EVEN HAVE TO ASK ORCONVINCE HIM FOR THIS BUT HE SHOWED THE TRUE MEANING OF POLITICAL MATURITY BY VOLUNTEERING TO DO SO. KUNANA, “MAYOR SAANAKON NGA AGTARAY A VICE MAYOR TAPNO SAAN KAN NGA AGPROBLEMA KEN SAAN TAYO A MARIGATAN A MANGPANANGABAK TI MAPILIM A KANDIDATO PARA BISE KEN TAPNO SAAN NGA MASAYA-SAYA TI GRUPO TAYO.” DAYTA TI GALAD NI MANG NICK, AMMO NA NGA ISAKIT DAGUITI KADWA NA KEN SAAN NA NGA IBATI TI RIGAT MAN WENNO NAM-AY. HE HELPED COIN THE PHASE “NAPATEG TI NAPUDNO A PANAGSERBI”.WHEN ILLNESS WAS KINDER TO HIM, HE WAS THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF OUR FIESTAS AND WAS A FIXTURE IN THE PLAZA BURGOS AND IN THE GRANDSTAND FOR THE PARADES AND PROGRAMS. HOW HE LOVED HIS TASK AS MASTER OF CEREMONIES! AS PART OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, MANG NICK HELPED US GREATLY IN LAYING DOWN THE FOUNDATION OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT OFFICE. HE WAS A HANDS ON SUPERVISOR. EVEN WHEN HE WAS ALREADY SERIOUSLY ILL, HE INSISTED ON GOING TO THE OFFICE, MONITORING THE WATCHMEN AND TRAFFIC AIDES WHICH MANANG LINA WOULD RESENT; AND THEN THEY WOULD AGREE THAT MANG NICK WOULD CHECK ON THEM INSTEAD OVER THE PHONE OR THE 2-WAY RADIO. HE LOOKED AFTER THE WELFARE OF OUR TRAFFIC ENFORCERS AND WATCHMEN AS HE BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN THE DISPATCH OF THEIR DUTIES WITH AMPLE GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
A KIND, JOLLY, HUMBLE COLLEAGUE AND BOSS, THIS WAS MANG NICK. WE WILL MISS THE APPLES AND ORANGES FROM YOU ON OUR BIRTHDAYS ….THE WATCHMEN AND TRAFFIC ENFORCERS WILL MISS THE “BALUT” AND C2…VIGAN SHALL MISS YOU, MANG NICK. WE MOURN YOUR PASSING YET WE ARE COMFORTED BY THE GOODNESS OF OUR FAITHFUL SHEPHERD WHO HAS TAKEN YOU HOME.