BAGUIO CITY, Philippines–Workers of the National Power Corp. and residents in the northernmost province of Batanes, braved the strong rains and wind and worked overtime to repair a generator set to power television sets in time for the live broadcast of the Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera fight before noon Sunday.
On Friday, the generator set servicing Ivana (population: 1,293 as of 2000) and the southern towns of Mahatao (pop: 1,895) and Uyugan (pop: 1,268) broke down due to moisture from strong rains accompanying Typhoon “Ineng” (international code name: Krosa). Some transmission lines in these towns were also damaged, causing a power outage for about two days.
The power supply in Ivana, which is 14 kilometers from the capital town of Basco, was restored at past 11 a.m. Sunday just as residents were returning home from attending Mass.
Residents said the fight was broadcast live in Ivana through a pay-per-view service of a local cable television provider. Local officials, according to a resident, paid the broadcast fee so residents could watch the fight live.
Gilmore Ponce, a four-year-old Pacquiao fan in Ivana, shouted before the fight that, “Manalo si Pacman [Pacquiao will win].”
Ponce could not contain his excitement and was jumping in front of the family’s television set when the ring announcer declared Pacquiao winner of the match.
In Pampanga, a power outage on the 7th round of the bout, at 12:20 p.m., spoiled the building excitement among boxing fans at the City of San Fernando who were watching the fight on pay-per-view.
Reynaldo David, manager of the Pampanga-Tarlac area of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco), traced the outage to a tripping on the 69th KV line of the San Fernando Electric and Power Corp. (Sfelapco) amid strong rains in the area.
Jose Lazatin, general manager of Sfelapco, said power was restored at 12:32 p.m.
Lazatin said he received numerous complaints from irked Pacquiao fans.
Viewers caught the bout at the end of the 10th round.
Allan Dungao, manager of the Satellite Cable Network, the local cable television provider, said he received numerous queries regarding the brownout.
“It was beyond our company’s control,” he said.
Dungao said pay-per-view hits in the Pacquiao-Barrera fight were 20 percent higher than Pacquiao’s fight against Mexican Erik Morales in early 2007.
“We thought the hits would be lower. It turned out that many wanted to be tuned in to the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch,” Dungao said.
At the SM City Pampanga, also in San Fernando, three movie houses played full for the live fight.
In the city’s Barangay Dolores, tricycle drivers whose terminal has a television set installed in it, stopped plying their routes to catch the game on free television.
In Isabela, boxing fans watch a free live screening of the fight in Cauayan City. Some spent for a pay-per-view broadcast in a hotel in the capital town of Ilagan.
Isabelinos, however, were dismayed with the way Pacquiao won the bout.
“Bitin. Hindi naman napatulog ni Pacquiao si Barrera [I felt shortchanged. Manny failed to knock out Barrera],” said tricycle driver Joey Balmaceda.
Ryan Casta?eda, a vendor who rooted for Barrera, said he was dismayed by the fight’s outcome.
“We thought Barrera would get his revenge. We were wrong,” he said.
