Humans of Konekonek: Gerich Dijamco

When Gerich Dijamco finished his 1,000-km+ Aparri-to-Sorsogon run, he didn’t raise his arms—he wept. Every step of that journey was rooted in one thing: his daughter Keira’s fight against leukemia.

Gerich started running in 2018, the year Keira was diagnosed. Short jogs became marathons, then ultramarathons, as he tried to steady his fears, drawing from Keira's courage as his fuel.

When he took on the Luzon 672-mile endurance run, one of the country's toughest courses, it meant also battling rain, fatigue, and even the flu. In the end, Gerich emerged as one of two finishers.

His secret? Whenever he felt like stopping, he remembered children like Keira, who fought so bravely to live.

If they didn’t give up, why would he?

He also drew strength from his family through nightly phone calls, powered by his official sponsor TNT and Smart's LTE and 5G networks across the country. Called home meant hearing Keira’s voice, which gave him strength no rest stop could.

In Sorsogon, he also drew strength from strangers who became his support crew—refilling his water and even finding him new shoes, as he continued to strive toward the final stretch. It was their cheers that carried him to an emotional finish amid a downpour that disguised his tears.

Now, Gerich hopes his run becomes more than a record. He dreams of building a community that supports children with cancer and the families walking that difficult road, and eventually fulfilling a promise that no family should fight alone.