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Philippines, 16 Oct 2025 |
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FIFTY SHADES OF PACQUIAO By Emmanuel B. Villaruel PhilBoxing.com Mon, 20 Apr 2015  Manny Pacquiao's 'from rags to riches story' is one for the books. A truly inspiring tale of a man who rose from extreme poverty to being one of the wealthiest athletes in the world today. From a nobody, Pacquiao has scaled far greater heights beyond his imagination, becoming one of the greatest fighters the boxing planet has ever seen. What is more admirable is that Pacquiao, at the height of his glory and splendor, kept his feet firmly on the ground. He endears his fans and draws the adulation of many with his deep sense of humility. To best illustrate that trait so unique of him, Pacquiao credits his phenomenal transformation from 'nothing to everything' to God. Here's a quick look at what Pacquiao had gone through in his long and meandering journey towards the pinnacle of success. *Good and caring son to Mommy Dionesia and dad Rosalio. He harbors no ills feelings to his father, who left their family for another woman when he was in sixth grade. *Loving husband to Jinkee *Doting father to five wonderful kids - Emmanuel Jr., Michael Stephen, Mary Divine Grace, Queen Elizabeth and Israel *Protective brother. He had his first fist fight when he was about nine or ten years old. It was between him and a group of schoolboys who was bullying his younger brother, Bobby. *Philatrophist. He donates millions of his earnings to indigent families and charitable institutions. *Public servant. He has done so much in helping the poor and destitute as congressman of Sarangani province * Bruce Lee fanatic. As a child, he's amazed by Bruce Lee?s speed and agility after watching the latter?s movie for the first time. Inspired by what he saw, he started to imitate the movie star?s moves by punching and kicking a large banana tree near their house. * Stow away kid. When he left GenSan for Manila, he didn?t tell anyone from his family lest they would never let him go. At that time, he was also penniless so he had to stow away on a boat just to get to the capital. *'Metal Man'. His first job in Manila was scraping off rust at a local metal yard. *Dishwasher. During his early days in the Big City when he had nothing to eat, he would go to some restaurants to wash the dishes or clean the kitchen in exchange for food. *Street vendor. He once peddled various goods ranging from bread and peanuts to water and doughnuts and even cigarrettes in the hot streets of GenSan to support his family. *Fisherman's assistant. When he was about six or seven years old, Manny got his first job as an assistant to a very old fisherman. For his efforts, he was given a share of the catch. *Construction worker. He was once a gardener and construction worker, among the odds jobs he took during his struggling days. *High-school dropout. He completed his elementary education at Saavedra Saway Elementary School in GenSan, but dropped out of high school due to extreme poverty. In 2007 though, he took, and passed, a high school equivalency exam making him eligible for college education. He was awarded with a high school diploma by the Department of Education. *Doctor. Not the kind of doctor you think though. In 2008, he was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) by Southwestern University (SWU) in recognition of his boxing achievements and humanitarian work. *Armyman. He is a military reservist with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army.[25] Prior to being commissioned to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he first entered the Army's reserve force on April 27, 2006 as a Sergeant. *Richest congressman. With a net worth of nearly P1.5 billion,he is the richest congressman in the Philippines. *Singer. As a professional singer, he made some hit singles, most notable among them is 'Para sayo ang laban na to' (This fight is for you). *Actor. As a pro actor, he appears in some flicks, including in Anak ng Kumander (Commander's son) and 'Wapakman'. *Priest-wannabe. As a child, he wanted to become a Catholic priest. However, poverty came in the way so he pursued boxing instead. *Cockfighting enthusiast. At a tender age of seven Manny witnessed a cockfight for the very first time. The roosters taught him the importance of persistence and being quick on your feet, two qualities that would later become part of his mentality. *Dog lover. He has a pet dog, a Jack Russell terrier who shares his nickname ?Pacman?. The dog comes with him during training runs. *Chess master. It's a sport close to his heart. He once said that he was playing chess even before he became a boxer. *Billiards player. An accurate shotmaker, he is also fearless inside the pool hall. *Basketball pro. At 35 years old, he became the oldest rookie in the history of the Philippine Basketball Association. He loves basketball so much that he makes it part of his conditioning in every major fight. *Coach. He's not only a player, he also calls the shots fo his KIA Carnival team in the PBA. *Man of many names. Aside from being called the People?s Champion, he is also known as The Destroyer, The Mexecutioner, Ang Pambansang Kamao (The Nation?s Fist), The Fighting Congressman, Pambansang Ninong (National Godfather), and The Filipino Slugger. *Lottery operator. He owns a lottery outlet for the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. *Endorser. He is a sought-after product endorser and commercial model ranging from energy drink, pizza parlor, pain reliever, sports apparel, and many more. *Adventurer. As courageous and dauntless he is inside the ring, Pacquiao had the time of his life enjoying the sky-rise adventure at the 40-storey Cebu Crown Regency Hotel during one his previous visits in Cebu. *Marksman. A firearm enthusiast, he also collects and shoots gun with pin-point accuracy. His handgun of choice is the trusty ol? 1911. *Game show host. He once hosted the Manny Many Prizes, a weekly variety-game show produced by GMA Network. *Flag-bearer. He became the first Filipino Olympic non-participant to become the Team Philippines? flag bearer during the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium in 2008. *Tattoo enthusiast. His first tattoo - a figure of a boxing glove inked on his chest ? was done by Manny himself, which explains the bad design. He used to do tattoos on his self when he was 13 and although he describes the glove design as ugly, he never considered removing it. *History-maker. He is the only eight-division world champion in boxing. *Royal friend. During a trip to London, Pacquiao dined with Prince Harry at the Buckingham Palace. *Judge. He was one of the board of judges during the 63rd Miss Universe Pageant in Doral, Florida. *US Senator's ally. He is a close friend of U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, who was once a boxer himself. *Postage stamp figure. He is the first Filipino boxer and athlete to appear on a postage stamp. *Videogame character. He is featured in boxing video games including Fight Night Round 2, Fight Night Round 3, and Fight Night Round 4. *Magazine cover. He was included in Time Magazine?s list of the world?s most influential people in 2009. *Millionaire's club. He is in Forbe's list as one of the world's richest and highest-paid athletes. *Sports car lover. He has a collection of luxury vehicles. Among his most prized possessions are a Ferrari 458 Italia sports car worth $228,000, a Mercedes Benz, Lincoln Navigator, and a Porsche Cayenne. *Timeless symbol. In 2010, a 10-foot bronze statue of Manny was unveiled at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA). It stood alongside 8-foot bronze statues of a nurse, a farmer, a teacher, and a construction worker ? a fitting tribute to hardworking Filipino men and women. *Comfort zone. He owns five mansions: two in GenSan, one in Para?aque City, another one in Laguna, and a P380-million residence in Forbes Park in Makati City. The most latest addition he purchased recently in Beverly Hills, California. Like any other human beings, Pacquiao is not a perfect person. He makes mistakes. He went through the toughest of all trials and the bitterest of all adversities that threatened to break not only his family, but the very foundation of his individuality. He was once a heavy drinker, gambler, drug-user, and alleged womanizer. He went astray at one point of his life. But the thing of beauty is that Pacquiao acknowledged all his failures, and readily make amends to his past transgressions and moments of indescretion. Thanks to his religious reawakening, Pacquiao's life took a 360-degree turn for the better. Armed with a Bible, he's now a changed man, a devout Preacher who spreads the word of God with fervor burning. His newfound faith as a Christian has greatly helped him regain full control of his life that is now with meaning and purpose worthy of emulation. (With sources from wikipedia and thefilipiknow.net) Emmanuel B. Villaruel is the sports editor of The Freeman, Cebu's oldest newspaper. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Emmanuel B. Villaruel.  |
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