There is no greater love in the world than that of a mother for her children…and no greater debt than
a child’s to his mother. That is surely the case when it comes to Manny Pacquiao and his relationship with his mother, Dionisia.
With six children to feed and a husband who was no longer part of her life, Dionisia took odd jobs and worked long hours to put food on the table for her family. But it was still hard and, frankly, humiliating for a very proud woman to be forced into such conditions yet still not be able to provide everything she wanted for her loved ones.
As a matter of fact, the Pacquiao family was so impoverished that their neighbors pitied them. “He was a bright boy, but didn’t finish school because of poverty,” said Jognard Verzoza, an elementary school classmate of Manny Pacquiao “You could tell how poor his family was by his clothes.”
Manny and some of his siblings helped out as much as they could, selling bread or doing errands for neighbors, but the money paid to children (and women) for such jobs is minimal…and surely not enough to provide anything but the most basic of essential needs.
But, through all the hardships and trials, Dionisia never lost her faith and never stopped instilling in her children the character, moral fiber, and work ethic to work their way out of poverty or, at the very least, to be happy and productive citizens.
Whereas many children raised under such dire circumstances would’ve turned to crime and vice, Mama Pacquiao’s did not– and that’s a testament to the hard work of a dedicated, loving mother.
Even if Manny Pacquiao had not grown up to be an international mega-star and eight-division champ, Dionisia Pacquiao’s story would’ve been one of success and conquest.
So, ultimately, this is not really a boxing story, but more of an homage to mothers all over the world who have struggled and sacrificed for the betterment of their children. This is a small payback of the debt we all owe to our mothers for bringing us into this world and, really, making sure that we learn how to navigate this same, often treacherous, planet.
But some mothers go above and beyond the normal.
Thrust into tragic or dire circumstances, they not only bring life and provide guidance, but give body
and soul to making sure that the dark aspects of the world don’t swallow their children whole.
In Manny’s case, he works tremendously hard and has accomplished much, but he would not be who he is today without his mother. None of us would be who we are without Mom. *******************
“He is like a Xerox copy of me. If I had been a man, I would have been a millionaire because I would have been a champion boxer.” — Dionisia Pacquiao
