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Philippines, 23 Nov 2024 |
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"Its Time To Give Something Back to Manny" PhilBoxing.com Tue, 30 Mar 2010  Manny Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king and renowned ?Fighter of the Decade? has always tempered his fists of fury in the ring with clear demonstrations of compassion for his opponents. It reminds us so much of the remarkable traits of the late, great Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde whose 10th Annual Awards ?Banquet of Champions? was graced by Pacquiao as special guest and speaker who came along with his wife Jinkee who looked radiant. Also present were Congressman Ferdinand ?Bongbong? Marcos, wife Liza who is a lawyer and a charming lady and their three handsome young sons. Clearly, Pacquiao and the young Marcos who is seeking a Senate seat were the centers of attraction and attention, signing autographs and posing for souvenir pictures. They never turned anybody away. To those of us who have chronicled the rags to riches saga of Pacquiao, what strikes us the most is that even today amidst all the adoration and superstar status he has retained the same simple down-to-earth character and humility that were part of his boyhood poverty. His kindness and generosity, in many ways like Elorde?s in his time of $25,000 world title fight purses and no pay-per-view income, is legendary. He gives but doesn?t say how much he gives because that is in the nature of genuine caring. Helping is the essence, not how much. Manny Pacquiao has done more to redeem international recognition and respect for the Philippines than any other Filipino in our lifetime although we certainly must recognize the contributions of the late President Cory Aquino in her own way, and the statesman and diplomat extraordinaire and first UN General Assembly president Carlos. P Romulo. The telling aspect of Pacquiao?s efforts has been that he achieved what he did at a time when our nation?s standing was probably near its lowest ebb. When Manny made a whirlwind visit to Thailand no less than the Prime Minister and other leaders recognized him not just as a hero of the Philippines but in their own words ?The Hero of Asia.? What he has done for our country and people is, quite honestly, immeasurable. He has been embraced not only by millions of his countrymen but by millions around the world. It hasn?t been solely because of his glorious achievements in the ring, it has been epitomized by the classy manner in which those conquests have been carried out and the innate humility he has shown every step of the way. Even in his sense of caring and his humility, Manny Pacquiao is an example worthy of emulation by those who have achieved so much less but who tend to strut around as though they were God?s gift to the Filipino people. If we have been blessed abundantly by one gift from God, that gift is Manny Pacquiao who himself has the inborn qualities that dutifully recognize the reality that all his blessings come from God. Some ten years ago Manny told his late business manager, mentor and father-figure Rod Nazario and myself in a most sincere tone that he wanted to enter public service so he could help the poor especially in his part of the country ? General Santos City and the province of Sarangani ? and give them hope and inspiration to carry on. He has done that in the ring with his exploits. Now he seeks to fulfill that announced desire in congress. Question is, will we, most especially the people of Sarangani, turn their backs on him and refuse to give Manny who has done so much for our country and people, the one opportunity he desires the most, and humbly asks of us? Gratitude is a virtue of the Filipino. Being grateful to Manny would be a powerful manifestation of that virtue. We need not ask what he would do in a congress of far more educated men and women. What we need to ask ourselves is what have the smart men and women done for our people through the years? It is not a law degree or an economics degree from an outstanding American university that is the need of the hour. It is for men ? and women ? who have known poverty and a feeling of hopelessness but who have broken away from the bondage of their poverty and with hard work, grim determination, honesty and courage overcome the challenges in life and like Pacquiao shone like a beacon in the semi-darkness around us. Education is an excellent tool for leaders and leadership but the real life study that comes from the bowels of hardship and poverty surely must prepare men and women far better for the greater challenges ahead of us where genuine care and concern override other considerations. Must we, in the grip of traditional Philippine politics continue to pay homage to dynasties or break away as the Constitution mandates us to do, but which Congress has failed to do by enacting the implementing laws because of the selfish and vested interests of many of our officials? The answer is in the hands of the Filipino. Do we respond to the challenge of recognizing those who have soared to unbelievable heights by their incredible achievements amidst monumental sacrifices or do we ignore the call and stick with the same tried, tested and failed formula? That question needs to be answered on May 10. Is it always bound to be a one-way street with Manny? Do we continue to demand that he give us more joy and pride by continuing to fight while we simply refuse to acknowledge what he has given us and help recognize his desire to serve the poor? To us , the time has come to show our gratitude and give something back to Manny Pacquiao who has given our country and people so much. It is something he richly deserves. Besides, it is the right thing to do. Click here for a complete listing of columns by this author. Click here for a complete listing of this author's articles from different news sources. |
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