Over the past few years, there are two Sundays each year when streets across the Philippines are empty. In a predominantly Catholic country, only Good Friday and New Year?s Day can match the emptiness and eerie silence of the thoroughfares.
But unlike Good Friday and New Year?s Day, the silence is suddenly interrupted by simultaneous roars toward noon that crescendos into a frenetic celebration shortly after lunch.
November 14 will be one of those Sundays when virtually all households are again locking their ears into their radio monitors and gluing themselves to their television sets, waiting and watching what has become a summer and fall Sunday spectacle every year.
But this may not be the scene two or three years from now. Because by then, Manny Pacquiao may no longer be fighting.
On November 14, Manny will trade punches with Antonio Margarito for a boxing title from yet another maligned world boxing body.
As far as Manny is concerned, however, a title is a title and it will add up to his already impressive resume of winning seven boxing crowns in as many weight divisions, a feat no other boxer ? living or dead ? has ever accomplished. The World Boxing Council super welterweight crown will be his eight if he wins against Margarito this Sunday, breaking his own world record.
But on Sunday, boxing and non-boxing fans of Manny Pacquiao may well start their countdown.
Crimeless Sundays when Manny is fighting will soon be over and both the military and the rebels may no longer have that two weekends in a year when they are mutually assured there will be no armed encounters.
Theaters and restaurants have even upped their entrance and cover fees for a chance to see Manny live and uninterrupted on the wide screen via pay per view. These resto and theater owners know they only have a couple of Sundays to make a killing at the box office.
Now, several local government units are saying these restaurants showing live feed of Manny?s fight should pay amusement taxes. Talk about being opportunistic!
How many news website have dedicated a page for Manny Pacquiao? Traffic will again be heavy in these websites. And poor Dong Secuya. He who owns the pioneering website www.maanypacquiao.ph. His site will again crash due to heavy traffic and his administrators will have their hands full posting and uploading stories about Manny ? win or lose – on Sunday and the days after.
Did I mention a quiet Sunday? Oh yes, it will be ? in the morning. By sundown the neighborhood will loud and in debating spree if not already intoxicated with every available alcoholic beverage from a nearby store.
I hope no one dies of heart attack this time.
Enjoy your quiet morning this Sunday.
