Singapore government to welcome Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines – The Singapore government will give Filipino boxing icon Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao a welcome fit for a king when he visits Singapore today.

Singapore will roll out the red carpet for Pacquiao who will visit Singapore for the first time. Pacquiao, a seven-division world-boxing champion, has won the hearts of Singaporeans who are boxing aficionados.

“We’re very excited to have Manny with us. He’s such a boxing hero not just in the Philippines but in Asia and we are very proud of him. He will be given a full welcome. We are very proud to have Manny come to our country,” Lynelle Seow of the Singapore Tourism Board told The STAR yesterday.

Seow said this is the first time that Singapore has invited a government official and they chose Pacquiao.

To make his stay memorable, Pacquiao will be billeted at a five-star hotel, Marina Bay Sands, will have lunch and dinner in a top Singaporean restaurants, ride the iconic Singapore Flyer and visit the Resorts World Sentosa and Universal Studios Singapore where he will shoot an episode for his GMA comedy show “Show me da Manny.” He will also join the Hippo bus tour.

“We’re very happy to show Manny our culture, our food. We will let him eat our chili crab, cereal prawn, we hope he’ll like it,” she said.

A highlight will be a meet and greet with the Singaporean youth pugilists and the members of the Singapore Boxing Federation.