The Pacquiao phenomenon

The rousing welcome given to Manny Pacquiao showed the joy of a nation over the boxer's latest triumph. It was not a title bout, and Manny did not get a title belt. But it was a fight between champions and honor was at stake - that of the protagonists and of their respective country. More than prize money, it was in search for honor that brought the fighters together for the second time.

After Morales defeated Manny in their March encounter last year, observers believed that the Filipino boxer was cheated of his win. They said that although blood was on his face, Pacquiao was really on the upper hand. This thought was in the minds of many as they waited for the second fight. This could also be in Pacquiao's mind, who although accepting defeat, felt that he fought well that night. Driven by the desire to vindicate himself, the boxer must have looked forward to the second encounter as the day of reckoning who was who in the ring. This could be the reason why he trained hard before the event.

This could be the reason too why on that fateful evening he fought as he never fought before, his fist wheezing in the air in search of Morales' jaws or slamming hard against the latter's breadbasket, spoiling his reflexes and slowing down his footwork until that vaunted left of Pacman sent him to the floor. "I ran into a guy with a lot of ambition who wanted to win very much, was in great condition and was obviously well prepared to fight me". This was Morales' confession after he checked out of the hospital a day after the fight.

But it was more than ambition that turned Pacquiao into a raging puncher that night. It was his honor - and the honor of his country - that was at stake. For somehow, the Filipinos took the cause of Pacquiao as their cause. They were not really that crazy about boxing. But here was a guy, poor and unknown, who through sheer guts and courage gained fame and fortune. They too were like him, poor and struggling and longing for better life. Pacquiao was indeed one of them. Therefore his defeat was their defeat, his success was their success.

Last year how the Filipinos' hearts were pained when their hero was declared the lesser fighter. They simply could not accept this and when he came back to a grieving people he was told he could rout that "El Terrible" given a rematch. When the rematch was announced the Pacquiao mania started to take shape until a few days before the event the mania turned into a frenzy.

The rest is history, vindication was accomplished, honor attained, and the whole country rejoiced.

Pacquiao indeed deserves the accolade of the nation. He fostered unity, but more than this, he brought honor to his country. As a people we are obsessed with honor. Individually or collectively, we seek honor and want to be called honorable. Observe for example, how keenly parents take interest in the honor status of their kids in school; or how terribly upset a public official is when his alleged malfeasances are made public; or how we pat our backs when one of our kind shines in the national or international scene.

Our craze for honor is actually a facet of our cultural upbringing. It is associated with the value of social acceptance negation of which produces an uncomfortable feeling. Among nations it is but natural to aspire for acceptance. Being accepted is not only good diplomacy, it impacts positively on the economy. World acceptance therefore, has been a continuing quest by this country. And winning in competitions, be it in sports or in other fields, is one way to gain it.

With the Pacquiao win we certainly gained acceptance in the arena of boxing. To many Filipinos, however, it was more than a triumph in the ring. It was a triumph of the Filipino spirit, that "matirang-matibay" streak that refuses to give up despite great odds. Viewed in the light of the socio-economic difficulties of the country that triumph gave the Filipinos fresh hopes that the light at the end of the tunnel was not far away.

As we savor the good feeling of the Pacquiao phenomenon this thought prevails: If a Filipino fist could knock out a mighty foe, could not our collective fists knock out the obstacles to our unity and progress?