For 13-year-old Francis Tiburcio Ramos of Llanera, Nueva Ecija, crossing the finish line first at the Palarong Pambansa 2026 marked another milestone in a journey shaped by family support, years of training, and adjustment after a life-changing accident at a young age.

A beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Francis won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash under the Visually Impaired (VI T11) category, becoming one of the 407 child-athletes from 4Ps families who participated in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur.

Before becoming a para athlete, Francis was enrolled in the Special Science Elementary School (SSES) program and consistently earned honors in school. In December 2021, before entering Grade 4, however, an accident involving an unexploded device changed the course of his childhood.

“Nakapulot po ako ng parang drill box o ‘yung parang grenade na luma. Ito po ‘yung naputukan (showing his right arm), tapos nadamay po ‘yung mata ko,” Francis recalled.

The accident resulted in the loss of his right hand and visual impairment. During recovery, Francis said the physical pain became one of the hardest parts of the experience.

“Hindi ko na po masyadong inisip ‘yung naputol ‘yung kamay ko. Iniisip ko po talaga ‘yung sakit ng katawan sa araw-araw,” Francis said.

His older brother, Matthew Ramos, said the incident affected the entire family.

“Nung nangyari po iyon, siyempre po, buong pamilya, nalungkot. Pero nag-pray po kami. Lagi po naming isinasaisip na maka-survive siya,” his older brother mentioned.

Before the incident, their mother worked in Hong Kong as an overseas Filipino worker while their father worked in construction. Matthew shared that financial adjustments became necessary after their mother returned home because of hospital expenses.

Today, the family manages livelihood through duck raising, online selling, vending, and shared household responsibilities.

As the eldest sibling, Matthew became one of Francis’ support systems, not only at home but also in sports.

A former sepak takraw player who later shifted to athletics, Matthew introduced Francis to sprint events after noticing similarities in their abilities. “Nakikitaan ko rin po siya ng potensyal para maging mas mabilis. Alam ko po kung paano siya gabayan.”

Francis entered athletics while studying at Talavera Central School after a teacher from the Special Education (SPED) program encouraged him to join provincial competitions.

He started with the 100-meter dash and long jump before later competing in shot put. Over the years, he accumulated medals in provincial meets, regional competitions, and previous editions of the Palarong Pambansa.

Representing Central Luzon, Francis entered this year’s national competition after competing in the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association (CLRAA) ParaGames 2026, where he recorded two gold medals in the 100-meter dash and long jump, and one silver medal in shot put.

Now a Grade 7 student at Talavera National High School under the Special Program for Sports, Francis studies in a regular classroom setting alongside non-SPED classmates.
“Sumasabay naman po ako sa kanila. Nung last quarter namin, nakasama po ako sa honor roll.”

Balancing academics and training has not always been easy.

“Umayaw po talaga dahil sa pagod, sa bahay, sa pagiging athlete, sa academics.”

He said support from people around him motivated him to continue.

“Yung mga tao pong sumuporta sa akin — pamilya ko, ‘yung buong team namin sa Talavera, mga teachers ko, coaches ko, lalo na si Kuya.”

His family continues to accompany him during competitions and training activities.

“Very supportive po sila kasi kung saan po ako maglaro, andun po sila, sumusunod.”

When asked about his message for other children facing challenges, Francis said, “Huwag lang tumigil sa buhay. Kahit anong mangyari, kahit may magawa kang kamalian at may magbago sa buhay mo, huwag kang titigil, dire-diretso lang.”

He added, “Hindi ko po tinitingnan ‘yung kapansanan ko bilang kahinaan. Tinitingnan ko po ito na kalakasan.”

Francis is among 407 children from 4Ps families across the country who participated in the Palarong Pambansa 2026.

Based on validated regional reports received as of June 8, 2026, participating 4Ps children collectively recorded 172 medals, consisting of 63 gold, 54 silver, and 55 bronze medals.

Among the 407 participating child-athletes, 402 were identified across the regions, while five participants had no region indicated in the submitted reports. The highest number of participating 4Ps child-athletes came from Caraga Region (86), followed by Ilocos Region (40), Western Visayas (40), Davao Region (31), CALABARZON (28), Cagayan Valley (26), Eastern Visayas (22), Central Visayas (21), Bicol Region (20), Cordillera Administrative Region (20), Zamboanga Peninsula (17), Central Luzon (15), Negros Island Region (15), MIMAROPA (13), and Northern Mindanao (8).

The medals earned by 4Ps child-athletes came from various sporting disciplines, led by athletics with 23 medals, followed by football (13), gymnastics (12), arnis (10), swimming (9), wrestling (8), baseball (7), sepak takraw (7), boxing (6), wushu (6), javelin throw (5), and shot put (5).

The participation and achievements of 4Ps children in the Palarong Pambansa 2026 reflect the growing presence of program beneficiaries in national-level sporting competitions across different regions and disciplines. – Ana Dominique S Pablo