With the theme song from the movie “Rocky” blaring from speakers, Manny Pacquiao strode into the Philippine Daily Inquirer office Thursday—and made new conquests.
Mobbed on every floor of the four-story building on Pasong Tamo in Makati City, the suave-looking world champion won over the hearts of hundreds of Inquirer employees when he came to receive the newspaper’s “Filipino of the Year” for 2008 award handed him by Inquirer chair Marixi Prieto.
“He has remained humble even with all his achievements. It just confirms his award,” Prieto said.
Pacquiao received a framed front-page Jan. 18, 2009 Inquirer issue that announced his selection as the Filipino of the Year.
Inquirer president Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot and editor in chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc joined the Inquirer chair in handing the award to Pacquiao, who was dressed in dark jacket, yellow shirt and khaki pants.
“For scaling this forbidding peak of achievement, for reinventing himself as a compleat boxer of high discipline and uncommon gallantry and, not least, for inspiring millions of Filipinos with his uplifting example of hard work and sense of purpose, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year for 2008,” the Inquirer said in the award citation.
The building echoed with cheers of “Manny, Manny” as the Philippines’ pride arrived accompanied by his close friend, former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson, who is also deputy national security adviser.
Pacquiao won three fights last year, all in scintillating fashion.
He came out on top of a bloody war with the technically proficient Juan Manuel Marquez to capture the Mexican’s WBC super featherweight title last March, before virtually torturing tough David Diaz, who was then the WBC lightweight champion, in nine rounds last June to become the first Asian to win world titles in four different weight divisions.
Higher stakes
The stakes got higher and Pacquiao strengthened his claim as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter by handing the sport’s biggest star, Oscar “The Golden Boy” De La Hoya, a corner-to-corner beating in a welterweight “Dream Match” last December.
“He is someone who will probably go down as the greatest Filipino and Asian boxer of all time,” Yambot said, calling Pacquiao “a unifying force” to Filipinos.
Hats off to the media
“I’m very very happy with this award from the Inquirer,” Pacquiao said in Filipino. He also thanked the Inquirer for its “trust and support.”
“The media are a part of my victories,” he added. “If it wasn’t for the media, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. My victory is our victory.”
Pacquiao gamely posed for photos with employees and signed copies of the Inquirer with its banner story declaring him the top Filipino for 2008.
Favored over Hatton
Less than three months away from what he considers as the toughest fight of his career—against British superstar Ricky Hatton—Pacquiao said he needed support from all Filipinos.
“Sana ipagdasal ninyo ako (I hope you’ll pray for me) against Ricky Hatton,” he said. “I hope I get lucky against Hatton. I need your support and prayers. I can’t do it without you.”
Pacquiao is favored to prevail against the “Hit Man” from Manchester, England, on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
$40-M fight
Friday morning, Pacquiao is flying to England for a three-day promotional tour in London and Manchester for the Hatton fight.
From England, he will fly to Los Angeles to link up with his American trainer Freddie Roach and begin working out for the fight set at the light welterweight limit (140 lbs).
Pacquiao doesn’t think Hatton‘s trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., can transform the British pugilist into an all-around boxer for their duel that is expected to rake in close to $40 million in revenues.
And the Filipino champ thinks he is more ringwise than Hatton since he was once a reckless slugger before evolving into a classy boxer.
“The Hatton you know is the Hatton I’ll be facing on May 2,” Pacquiao said. “You can’t change him.”
Pacquiao, 30, dodged questions about his political plans amid reports that he is eyeing a congressional seat in Saranggani province.
“I’d rather focus on my fight with Hatton,” said Pacquiao, who lost to incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio in their congressional battle in General Santos City in 2007.
Stuff of legend
Pacquiao’s climb to greatness is the stuff of legend—from sleeping on cardboards in dusty streets in some nondescript town in Mindanao to being hailed as the country’s top Filipino.
“Every time we pass a street child sleeping in a street corner, Manny would point to that child and say, ‘that’s who I used to be,’” said Pacquiao’s business manager, Eric Pineda.
“I know how it feels to be that child. I used to sleep on cardboard boxes only,” said the former bakery helper who struggled to make ends meet before he found glory in the ring.
Pacquiao’s Filipino of the Year award bolstered his image as an inspiration to millions of Filipinos in a country gripped by poverty.
Source : Inquirer.net
