Ex-Pres. Ramos beats Fil-Am writer at push-up challenge

He's almost 60 years younger than the former Philippine President but Filipino-American sports journalist and former boxer Ryan Songalia was no match at a push-up challenge against ex-President Fidel Ramos. On his recent visit to New Jersey in the United States for a speaking engagement, Ramos threw a push-up and sit-up challenge to Songalia, a writer for New York Daily News and a contributor for GMA News Online. In a Skype interview on GMA's "News to Go" on Friday, 24-year-old Songalia, who covered Ramos' visit, said he was surprised to be part of the news after the 83-year-old former President challenged him.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV While doing the push-up challenge, Ramos kept telling Songalia, "Faster! Faster!" Songalia said he was taken aback because he wasn't used to doing push-ups as fast as Ramos. All in all, Songalia did 50 push-ups and 50 sit-ups while Ramos did 51 each of both workouts. Songalia admitted feeling physically sore after the surprise challenge. Songalia admired how fit Ramos was for his age. "He's very energetic for an 83-year-old," Songalia said. He also praised Ramos for being a "terrific public speaker." Songalia said the former president was a "very entertaining speaker, a very entertaining person." Ramos, born March on 18, 1928, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He went to the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1950. Before being elected as president, Ramos served in the Cabinet of the late President Corazon Aquino, mother of the incumbent Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Ramos was the chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and later Secretary of National Defense. Meanwhile, Songalia lives in North Jersey and has been a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2008. Aside from GMA News Online, his work appears on BoxingScene.com, the Filipino Reporter newspaper, and the New York Daily News, among others. - VVP, GMA News