THE world is changing No, it is not because America produced its first black president in Barack Obama. Or global warming is a real threat to humankind. Or even the electric car can soon fly.
The world is changing because of the Filipino.
First, it was Cory Aquino, the ?mere? housewife, who toppled a dictator and became a world icon in democracy.
Twenty-four years later, in 2010, Manny Pacquiao came along. He did not only rewrite yet boxing history, he made the world stop turning to salute yet another Filipino.
Virtually unschooled due to grinding poverty, Pacquiao rose to become not only the most important Filipino of his era, but also the most significant, most recognizable figure in the universe the last 10 years or so.
So amazing is his climb to the world stage through his fistic fusillades that the din of cheers keeps resonating from Manila to Managua from a discerning world audience that collectively applauds only once a decade.
Poster Boy for Philippine tourism?
Anytime, though, too puny an honor for a man who has more than doubled the achievements of Muhammad Ali, long acknowledged as the greatest boxer of all time.
Ali was the three-time world heavyweight champion to begin with.
Pacquiao could have easily achieved that, too, but God doesn?t give us everything.
For His vast, unequaled and, therefore, unsurpassed powers, God doesn?t play favorites and distributes attributes equally, justifiably.
So, He gave Pacquiao, too small to balloon to a heavyweight like Ali, seven world titles (that?s not favoritism?), making the Bukidnon-born southpaw the first seven-division champion.
You think that?s it?
Think again.
Because, maybe, Pacquiao is a deeply religious person, who eternally professes that he owes every ounce of power in his killer fists to God, dear God believes and decides to give him one more: the world super welterweight crown only last Nov. 14.
Tell you what.
Who in the world has had five, six, world boxing crowns?
Oscar De La Hoya was one of three: Five world crowns.
But wasn?t he whipped so bad by Pacquiao that he?d retire for good after failing to answer the bell for the 9th on Dec. 7, 2008?
In his next three fights after that, Pacquiao won his sixth world crown by knocking out Ricky Hatton in two rounds on May 2, 2009 (140 lb); pocketed his seventh world title by stopping Miguel Cotto in the 12th on Nov. 15, 2009 (147 lb); and, captured his eighth world diadem by battering a hapless, helpless, Antonio Margarito for a 12-round unanimous decision victory on Nov. 14 2010 (154 lb).
Before that, Pacquiao captured the 112-lb world crown in 1998 only three years after he turned pro at 106 lb. Next, he would win titles in 122 lb in 2001, 126 lb in 2003, 130 lb in 2008 and 135 lb also in 2008.
No one will ever erase, let alone equal, such feat, or God will stop making trees in the forests of Sierra Madre.
The world, indeed, is changing.
Blame it on Pacquiao.
