NORTHERN SAMAR, Dec. 7 ? The excitement of the people here while waiting for the Pacquiao-Dela Hoya fight was replaced with dismay and anger when a power black out occurred in the entire province late last night until today. According to a source from the Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (NORSAMELCO), the power failure was due to the TRANSCO’s power line which bogged down due to heavy rains that struck Samar Island since yesterday. Many boxing enthusiasts and Pacquiao fans here had a bad day since they were not able to witness the triumph of the people’s champ over Mexico’s Golden Boy, Oscar dela Hoya. Others who are very eager to see the “Dream Fight” used power generators while others looked for establishments which had standby generators. Others who stayed outside the full packed establishments just ignore the rains just to see their idol. In Allen town, the Balicuatro College of Arts and Trades which is run by Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), in cooperation with some individuals, set up a wide screen at its gymnatorium to have the public view the fight for free. Luckily, the said school has standby generator. Thousand of spectators coming flocked to the gym just to witness the historic fight. Some came from the farthest barangays of Allen town. Others came from the nearby towns of Lavezares, Victoria and San isidro. In Catarman town, boxing fans flocked to Catarman Transport Terminal’s lounge which has cable TV. Since the building has limited space, other boxing fans stayed outside under the rain. At the end of eighth round, everybody was triumphant. Those who missed the most awaited fight just asked through text their relatives from other parts of the country about the result of the fight.
