Yes, the Filipino can!

I rarely watch delayed-telecast boxing matches because of the long wait and numerous commercial interruptions. But this is one time I couldn’t get off my seat watching the highly-anticipated “Dream Match” between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and “Golden Boy” Oscar de la Hoya. As the whole world knows by now, what happened was totally unbelievable – with the pretty-faced Dela Hoya throwing in the towel at the end of round eight after receiving a relentless pummeling from the Filipino champ. Everybody was stunned at the outcome, and I don’t think there was anybody who didn’t feel proud to be a Filipino, rejoicing in the victory of the “People’s Champ.” Even those who are not really boxing aficionados were all choked up with emotion, crying and jumping with joy when Pacquiao was finally and officially declared the winner via TKO.

Savvy promoters have even likened the match to the classic story of David vs. Goliath, in obvious reference to the height and reach advantage of the 5’ 10 and 1/2” De la Hoya – and this turned out to be prophetic for the shorter but faster Pacquiao. With a guaranteed purse of $11 million plus the take on live gate receipts and pay-per-view (expected to have reached two million buys), the fight will easily earn Manny some $15 million (or P720,000,000 at an exchange rate of P48 to the dollar) – approximating the revenues he earned from his last three fights against Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz – Mexicans all who tasted the lethal fists of the number one pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Despite his defeat, De la Hoya’s reported net worth of $150 million is still considerably much higher than that of Manny Pacquiao, but the Pacman has set another record for being the first Filipino boxer to become a (peso) billionaire. His current multi-million dollar fees are certainly a long way from the $40,000 purse he earned during his 2001 US debut against Lehlo Ledwaba – and as a late replacement at that. It is estimated that prior to the De la Hoya fight, Manny’s ring earnings have reached $20 million – and that’s not even counting the fees he earned from product endorsements and movie and TV appearances.

Many Filipinos also made a lot of money betting on their Filipino idol who this time was “dehado” or the underdog. Businessman Eric Tagle told me that the night before the fight, the odds have gone up to plus $185 for Manny – meaning your $100 bet will win $185, although some sources have said the betting odds even reached “doblado” or plus $200 for Pacquiao, while bets for De la Hoya went at minus $190. No doubt Pacquiao’s close friend Chavit Singson was one of those who made buckets cashing in on the betting odds.

One can only hope Manny will have learned from the past and be more careful with his finances this time. A lot of people abused the trust he gave them, with some even reportedly faking his signature to withdraw money from some of his dollar checking accounts in the US. Despite these incidents, Manny continues to be a generous man, giving medicines and providing scholarships to the poor especially those in GenSan.

While there are some who were very disappointed at the “mismatch,” with some even suspicious that the fight may have been a sell-out, Manny obviously won because of his discipline and focus, following the strict training regimen set out by his coach Freddie Roach. While it certainly helped that Roach had an “insider’s viewpoint” having been tapped as trainer by Dela Hoya in the fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year (which Dela Hoya lost), it was Manny’s determination that gave him the edge. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain in that fight. As a commentator remarked, Manny stepped into the ring prepared to win, and he had the courage and the heart of a real champion.

As always, Manny’s victory means more than just fame and fortune, because he alone has the magic that could unite a divided nation - even just for a day. He has boosted the morale of Filipinos, and his win is an example that Filipinos have what it takes to be world champions - not only in sports but in any field if they set their hearts on it. Filipinos can be great, and if we only work together and set aside our personal interests, we can make this nation great again. Let us make this rhetoric ring true with promise that Yes, the Filipino Can!

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Loren named as ‘disaster reduction’ champ

Speaking of champions, Loren Legarda is another Filipino who is making her mark in the international arena, having recently been named by the UN-International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) as the Asia Pacific Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction. It’s the first time ever that the UN-body has ever appointed a high-level parliamentarian to be its advocacy champion.   Loren has been steadfast in championing the cause of environmental protection, starting as far back as 1998 when she launched Luntiang Pilipinas which has since established thousands of forest parks and planted two million trees nationwide.

One thing going for Loren is the worldwide recognition for her environmental advocacy, considering that more and more countries are beginning to realize the tremendous consequences of global warming and climate change. Though Filipinos belonging to the AB sector still have some difficulty accepting her, she continues to be popular with the CD crowd - which is probably why she is still a frontrunner in the surveys for the 2010 presidentiables.

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