A couple of weeks ago, in a trip to Tagbilaran City to watch the ?Bihagay sa Tagbilaran-Fight for Revenge” boxing card, I met Dong Secuya, the creator of the popular boxing website “mannypacquiao.ph”, better known as PACLAND. We were then at a dinner tendered by the indefatigable Mayor Dan Neri-Lim of Tagbilaran City.
I had been looking forward to meeting the man responsible for putting up the site and had managed to maintain it through the ups and downs of the life and career of the man he admires and after whom he named his website. Although I “discovered” the site just before the 2nd Morales fight, I learned that he actually put it up midyear of 2003 before Pacquiao?s fight with Marco Antonio Barrera.
The site actually was an off-shoot of Secuya?s surfing the Barrera site and getting miffed at some of the Mexican members there bad-mouthing Filipino fans who posted in their forum and shooing them away. Out of wounded pride, mannypacquiao.ph was born.
Today the site averages 7 to 8 thousand unique hits a day, maxing out at 25 to 30 thousand daily when Pacquiao or any prominent Filipino boxer has a fight. It currently has a membership of over 22,000 and that does not include “lurkers” who surf in regularly but do not log in.
Secuya, an accountant by profession (also an accomplished painter whose works have been exhibited), maintains the site by himself (actually two site she also put up philboxing.com last year to highlight other Filipino boxers) with only a couple of assistants whom he hired to help program the site and update records and articles.
Asked how he is able to keep it going despite limited advertising, the unassuming Cebuano admits that having his own server plus his work for personal clients who ask him to develop and design websites are what keeps Pacland afloat. He is still developing a marketing plan to attract advertisers.
While Pacland was designed for Pacquiao fans, invariably there are surfers from just about anywhere who join in the lively forum where fans give their take in real time on anything under the sun, mostly about boxing. The site is, however, well-organized and policed by volunteer moderators who see to it that some semblance of order is kept. Discussions sometimes do get heated given the battle lines drawn by each poster?s inclinations and affiliations, and I have come across many that actually led to name-calling and challenges. In the heat of a debate, there will always be those who resort to nasty and downright insulting and juvenile remarks, but most toe the line espoused by “Boss Shiva” (Secuya?s on-line moniker) ? to keep it clean.
What is fascinating about the site is, it?s almost like a big fraternity. They share news bits and whatever information they come across, pictures, updates on fights, videos, interviews, etc. There are even guys who share their valuable collection of boxing videos with anyone who visits the site! They bond together to help with myriad problems ranging from computer concerns to employment issues. It?s really quite amusing to go through the messages there. And it?s not just the Filipino members. There are Mexicans who ostensibly surf to defend their boxers who are almost always pitted against Filipinos, and they end up befriending “Paclanders”. They still stand up for their boys, but somehow they?ve come to some sort of peaceful co-existence with the Pinoys in the site. Most times, anyway.
But woe to him who incurs the displeasure of the pack, Mexican or otherwise.
Just last Sunday, Glenn Donaire, a Fil-Am who lost a technical decision that morning (Manila time) to world flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, was target of a lot of brickbats from disappointed boxing fans who felt let down when he suddenly quit in the middle of the sixth round. Donaire, a town mate of Pacquiao from General Santos City, was at the receiving end of a barrage of power punches from the Armenian/Australian champ the entire fight and claimed his jaw was broken from a head butt most people believe did not even happen.
Although a few tried to defend Donaire?s actions, most were wary of his actuation as he had also turned away in a fight against fellow Filipino Z Gorres after being floored, saying he couldn?t see because he was thumbed. Sunday being a slow day for Pacquiao news, Donaire got an extra beating from Paclanders apart from the one dealt by Darchinyan.
Secuya is proud that thousands of OFWs and other expatriate Pinoys consider Pacland as their “tambayan” (hang-out) which serves as their connection to home and somehow provides a salve to their home-sickness. When the site?s data center suffered a breakdown for two days recently, many felt lost and desperate, saying they didn?t know what to do without Pacland.
I myself have made it a habit to regularly visit Pacland for the latest in boxing news and to feel the pulse of boxing fans. Funny how it?s so hard to get an opinion from people when you ask them in person, but get quite an eyeful from this boxing forum.
As they say in cyber-lingo- “big props” to Shiva and Pacland!
