Maasin City (22 June) — What many harbored only in their imaginations can one day be realized: how the iconic Michael Buffer would introduce a man who made waves in boxing history worldwide, and who is now re-inventing himself as a duly elected Honorable Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, a legislator representing Saranggani province in Mindanao.
In the many shoes that the man originally from General Santos had worn — he had been into singing, commercial endorser, a showbiz celebrity, among others — perhaps the most challenging is in the area of lawmaking, where he is certain to devote his time in-between boxing assignments.
Now this guy has been into a deep training, not necessarily to enhance his brawn, but more on preparing his brain, for in both arena, either lawmaking and boxing, a combination of sharp minds and physical prowess are the recipes required for one to deliver.
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And this aspiration to learn the ropes in a new territory that he will be living into made the boxer in Pacquaio transformed into Congressman Pacquiao.
We still have to see how he will perform, first in helping his constituents for whatever meaning of the word help, and second as a national lawmaker, on his professed desire to put life into Philippine sports, so this field can reach heights the way he soared.
But as of the moment, his two-week crash course speaks volumes about the seriousness of his intentions, about the motivation behind his motives, which at the very least is a crack at self-improvement.
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Indeed, this sense to equip himself with the basic knowledge for his new challenge made Pacman a cut above the rest, a primus inter paris as the legal circles would say, or a first among equals for us ordinary mortals.
Well, all ordinary mortals are created equal, but some mortals are more equal than others, and in this second category the distinguished gentleman from Saranggani, as they addressed their colleagues in Congress, rightfully belongs.
And for that we can never fault Michael Buffer for the exciting announcement on how he would phrase, stress, or emphasize, the introduction portion in Pacman?s next bout, whoever his foe will be, if any would dare.
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But beyond Buffer?s anticipated booming voice, Pacman has always been a rallying symbol, an inspiration to many similarly situated herd of poor boys out there who might try their luck at boxing or any other sports to escape grinding poverty, and follow Pacman?s cinderalla-style success.
The expectations among his fans around the world are so high that Pacman cannot afford to fail them, for in their eyes he has been almost glorified a hero, a role-model, a champion in turning dreams and ambitions into reality.
So his handlers in the boxing ring and in the revered, august halls of Congress must realize that much has been at stake for this prized Filipino sensation, and take good care of him in social circles and in individual conduct.
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Pacman himself must understand that his person is now a national treasure — in the boxing world, no doubt, but in the mostly intellectual world of the House of Representatives he has yet to make a mark, although hopes are high that he can make it just as well, at least in earning respect among his “new” peers.
For sure he can be assured of a Guiness records for reaching this far, because perhaps no boxer has become a lawmaker in our lifetime just yet, a first of its kind achievement.
So the next time he steps into the ring — he will not retire yet in boxing in his first three-year term — all Filipinos should be proud that however Buffer will say it, the announcement carries a lot of power — and meaning.
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LOCAL FRONT: The latest development in the much-awaited Mayweather-Pacquiao match, in which the Floey had claimed the Pacman reportedly agreed for a 60-40 purse sharing in favor of Floey, has made local boxing enthusiasts shaking their heads. But of course, they knew this is another classic Mayweather style alibi to escape the Pacman?s fury, especially now that the latter had agreed to the blood-testing challenge of the former. Will this dream match only end up as a dream? We just wait and see.
ODDLY YOURS: Another Filipino had excelled in a not-so-glamorized and spotlight-filled field. His works were recognized by mighty nations far and wide, among them the US and Europe, including some global banking institutions, such as the World Bank. A virtual unknown, Edgardo “Tedjie” Herbosa, 45 years old, has been granted an O-1 visa by the US government, a special citation given to aliens “with extraordinary ability in their field of expertise.” What is his expertise? For one, he created an e-commerce platform, b2bpricenow.com which aims to raise farmers? income by eliminating brokers and transact directly to buyers individually or through cooperatives. Think about Filipino farmers going online? This in itself is a trail-blazing feat. Other well-known individuals given O-1 US visa, aside from Herbosa, are Roger Federer, Swiss Tennis champion, Mikhail Barishnykov, legendary Russian dancer, Celine Dion, Canadian singer, and Russell Crow, Australian actor. But Herbosa is not necessarily an unknown, for he was one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Men” (TOYM) awardee in 2005. And his great, great grandmother, Lucia, is a sister of Dr. Jose Rizal. So reaching top achievement is in his blood. (PIA-Southern Leyte) [top]
