SBP executive director and Liga Pilipinas president Noli Eala will never forget his night with Manny Pacquiao in General Santos City last Friday.
Eala was in Pacquiao?s hometown for Liga?s inaugural leg this conference.
?We wanted to invite Manny for dinner after the games and instead, he invited us,? related Eala.
Pacquiao didn?t only treat Eala, Perry Martinez and Rico Meneses to a sumptuous seafood dinner at ?Grab A Crab? but also brought along the entire MP Warriors team.
Pacquiao isn?t just the Warriors owner but also a player, along with his younger brother Bobby.
?I told Manny his team could be the new Ginebra,? said Eala. ?Next Wednesday, the Warriors will play their second leg in Pampanga and when Manny mentioned he?ll probably play, our local coordinator Gil Cortez got very excited. I think the Warriors will bring in fans wherever they play.?
After dinner, Pacquiao invited Eala and other Liga executives to his home.
?Manny asked me to ride in his four-wheel drive SUV,? continued Eala. ?He remembers me training at the L&M Gym with Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri and Ben Delgado. L&M is special to him because that?s where he began as a pro. That?s why he bought it to make it a seven-story building to be finished in May. The building will include a dorm for fighters.?
Eala had never been to Pacquiao?s home but what made the visit more memorable was the boxing icon?s hospitality.
?It was an unbelievable experience,? said Eala. ?It wasn?t just being in Manny?s house but it was being with him. Imagine, we had him all to ourselves. He even played the piano for us, two-full pieces, ?Let It Be? and ?Skyline Pigeon? which we all sang to. He never took piano lessons but learned to play because of his guitar background even if he doesn?t read notes. That shows you what he?s capable of doing.?
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What left a mark in Eala?s heart was Pacquiao?s openness.
?We talked about everything under the sun, his religious beliefs, his philosophy in life, what drives him, his appreciation of history and much, much more,? said Eala.
?Manny confirmed that he?s definitely running for Congress in Saranggani. He told me after finishing his management course in Notre Dame, he?ll take up law. He believes in God and karma, that whatever you put out, you get back, that if you do good, you will be done good, too. He admires Jose Rizal for his patriotism and intelligence, that he was a giant in his time. He doesn?t fear anything or anyone, except God. He?s been fighting 18 years and he?s learned not to be scared of anyone in the ring. He loves to fight because he fights for his country.?
Eala said Pacquiao was looking forward to facing Ricky Hatton.
?No contract has been signed yet to fight Hatton,? continued Eala. ?Manny called it a great fight between him and Hatton because they?re both brawlers. But if no agreement is reached on terms, Floyd Mayweather might be his next opponent instead. He talked about Jun Donaire and Gerry Pe?alosa. He described Donaire as a very good fighter. As for Gerry, he thinks Juan Manuel Lopez is tailor-made for him, that he?s a perfect-fit for Gerry?s style.?
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Pacquiao also spoke about his other preoccupations. For one, he has over 1,000 fighting cocks and a plantation of mango and other fruit trees. For another, he owns a manpower agency that?s in the process of sending over 200 heavy equipment drivers to the Middle East.
While cockfighting remains a passion for Pacquiao, he now hardly goes to the cockpits. He enjoys breeding and tending to his cocks in his sprawling Saranggani farm and just places bets on the phone. A few days ago, a source said Pacquiao won over P4 million in cockfighting wagers and distributed bonuses to waiters of ?Grab A Crab.?
As for Liga, Eala said Pacquiao has guaranteed his all-out support. ?Manny believes it?s a good league with a good concept of bringing organized basketball to the provincial level,? noted Eala. ?He felt the Warriors, being new to the league, are still learning the ropes but they?ll improve in time. He told me not to be surprised if in the final standings, GenSan will finish higher than some teams that are supposed to do better. Personally, I think the Warriors are just a big man away from being a serious title contender. What?s going for the team is it?s very well-coached, thanks to Ramon Pido. Of course, Manny?s presence makes it the crowd darlings.?
Eala said Pacquiao believes in sports as a vehicle for character-building. ?That?s the reason why he?s supporting any and every sport in GenSan from darts to bowling to boxing to basketball,? he said.
Pacquiao spent nearly two hours with Eala and his group at home. Then, at about midnight, the visitors said goodbye. Pacquiao still had to meet his staff, which had gathered to report on the day?s transactions.
?Manny?s a hands-on type of guy,? said Eala. ?His people love him. His staff is like his barkada but they obey his orders. Manny?s a very down-to-earth type of guy and executive. At the end of every day, he meets his staff and gets reports on what they?ve done. He?s very results-oriented and big on accountability.?
Eala flew into General Santos City last Wednesday and arrives back in Manila today.
