CABARROGUIS, Quirino—Samuel J. Ramos, a distinguished leader trainer and veteran Scoutmaster based at the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Quirino Council, died from a stroke in his sleep last Wednesday, January 19, 2022, at his home at Barangay Zamora, Cabarroguis, Quirino.

Scouter Ramos was found dead in his bedroom by his son JC Ramos in the morning of Wednesday.

“Nagising ako ng 4 kasi may pupuntahan kami at padating sa [amin] yung pinsan ko na magsusundo kaya sinilip ko siya sa room niya (I woke up at 4 o’clock in the morning because I was going out of town and my cousin was coming to pick me up, so I went to see him in his room),” JC recalled during an interview.

“Akala ko gising siya kasi nakamulat mata niya kaya iniwan ko muna at uminom ng tubig. Tapos noong nilapitan ko para pabangunin siya wala siyang response. Kaya chineck ko lahat (I thought he was already awake as his eyes were already open, so I left him for a while to drink water. When I approached him to help get him out of bed, there was no response coming from him, so I checked on him).“, he added.

Asked about what happened next, JC replied, “Syempre nag panic ako. Hinintay ko nalang yung pinsan kong dumating para humingi ng tulong (I panicked, of course. I waited for my cousin to arrive so I can ask for help).”

The results from the postmortem examination of Scout Leader Ramos’ body identified his immediate cause of death to be a probable internal hemorrhage secondary to a cardiovascular accident. This is linked to hypertensive vascular disease, a health condition he has been living with for a long time.

The Scouting community of Quirino mourns the sudden passing of Samuel J. Ramos. Together with his friends and relatives, the Scouts and Scout Leaders of the BSP Quirino Council came together on the last day of the funeral to pay their last respects to their former leader and fellow in scouting.

Dr. Erlito Madriaga, LT, the School Principal II of Bannawag Integrated School, recounts Ramos’ contributions to the Scouting movement in Baguio City and Quirino.

“What I see, I remember; what I hear, I know. But to hear and see is not enough to learn. To learn, we have to do,” Scouter Madriaga summarized the lessons Scouter Ramos impressed upon his fellow Scout Leaders and on the Scouts, he trained.

“Nirerecognize namin ang mga kontribusyon niya sa scouting na almost… 20 years yan, at yan din yung time na nandito tayo bilang mga dating guro. (We recognize his contributions in scouting in which he was part of for almost 20 years, and those were also the times when we were then teachers).”, he added.

Madriaga described his experiences with the late Scoutmaster as very skilled and experienced in the field of scouting. He also recalled his experiences with him in various Scouting activities and events in which they have been together.

“Talagang love na love ni Sir Sammy ang Scouting, mula noon pa. Yan ang buhay niya dun sa Baguio hanggang pagpunta niya dito… until such time na nag-retiro, pero hindi pa siya nawawala dun (Sir Sammy really loved scouting ever since. It was his life in Baguio, and it had always been when he came here, until his retirement, but even then he remains active).”

Scouter Madriaga concluded with the promise of continuing what Scouter Ramos had started.

“Ang responsibility ni Sir Sammy na gusto niya mangyari sa Boy Scouts dito sa Quirino ay naipasa na sa amin, at ‘yan ang unti-unti naming gagawin. Mahirap man dahil nagkapandemya, pero ang kanyang alaala ang siyang magiging inspirasyon pa namin para gawin namin lahat ng mga ninanais niya (The responsibility of Sir Sammy has been passed on to us, and we will strive to continue his works in the scouting movement in Quirino. It may be hard because of the pandemic, but his memory will be our inspiration in fulfilling his wishes).”, he said.

Sam Ramos began his journey as a scoutmaster when he was still a teacher at Don Bosco High School in Baguio City. He trained many Eagle Scouts in Baguio City and helped in organizing the Local Council Executive Board and advancing new leader trainers in Quirino. He was also known as the Tiger among the scouting community for his stern yet effective leadership.

Ramos was laid to rest on January 24, at the Cabarroguis Public Cemetery in Zamora, Cabarroguis, Quirino.