ON the day of ?The Battle? on Jan. 22 (Jan. 21 in Las Vegas), Metro Manila turned into a virtual ghost town, as people either stayed at home or were at the malls to watch Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao maul Mexican icon Erik ?El Terrible? Morales en route to a spectacular 10th-round stoppage.
Yesterday, it was the exact opposite as hundreds of thousands of Filipinos from all walks of life crammed the streets of the city while waiting excitedly to catch a glimpse of a Filipino boxing hero. And for several hours, traffic was at a standstill in several streets in Manila and in nearby Quezon City as Pacquiao?s entourage crawled amid a sea of people.
Pacquiao, together with Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, son Ali and Jimrex Jaca, a Filipino boxer who also knocked out his Mexican opponent in the same fight card under the Pacquiao-Morales headliner, rode atop a small truck adorned in front by a giant pair of boxing gloves and scores of Philippine flags at the back.
Wearing a black-striped, light-blue colored long-sleeved polo, Pacquiao waved and acknowledged the cheers of the crowd, some of whom waited for hours under a slight drizzle for the entourage to pass their way.
The Philippine National Police National Capital Region Police Office, under Deputy Director Gen. Vidal Querol, deployed at least 3,500 troops to secure the routes and as of press time, there was no reported incident that could have marred the ticker-tape parade.
Pacquiao arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 5:05 a.m. on board Philippine Airlines flight PR 103 from Los Angeles and was met at the airport by top government officials, led by Mayor Atienza.
?Maraming salamat po sa inyong suporta at ang lahat ng tagumpay na ito ay para sa ating lahat na mga Filipino,? said Pacquiao in a brief speech at the airport.
After a brief rest at the Hyatt Hotel, Pacquiao and his entourage proceeded to the Manila City Hall for a courtesy call to Mayor Atienza. The Manila mayor then accompanied Pacquiao to a separate courtesy call to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malaca?ang.
Pacman calls for unity
At the Kalayaan grounds in Malaca?ang, Pacquiao urged Filipinos to ?unite? whether he is inside or outside the ring.
?Sana magkaisa tayo palagi ? may laban man o wala,? Pacquiao said.
While in Malaca?ang, Pacquiao sought the assistance of President Arroyo in setting up a trust fund for retired and jobless boxers.
?He did not ask for anything for himself. He asked for help for other boxers who are not as fortunate as he is in their careers,? noted Cabinet officer for presidential engagements Conrado Limcaoco.
Limcaoco said the President immediately instructed some of her Palace aides to explore ways to implement Pacquiao?s proposal that will enable ?penniless? and idle boxers like Rolando Navarrette, Pacquiao?s townmate in General Santos City, to get financial subsidy, loan or technical advice in putting up livelihood enterprises.
Pacquiao Day
?Manny, congratulations! Today is a Pacquiao Day,? the President later said in her speech.
Palace officials and employees left their offices to get a glimpse of Pacquiao, shake hands with him and get his autograph.
From the Palace, Pacquiao?s group headed back to the Manila City Hall to kick off the ticker-tape parade.
There was one snafu at City Hall, when Jaca, who scored a spectacular first-round knockout victory over his Mexican opponent Geronimo Hernandez in the curtain-raiser to the Pacquiao-Morales fight was not allowed to enter the second floor, where the press conference was held.
Jaca said City Hall staff refused him entry because they apparently failed to recognize him.
He, however, took it good-naturedly and admitted he was not well known. The fighter of Rex Salud, a close friend and confidant of Pacquiao, was spotted by simple boxing fans, who posed for photos and asked for his autograph.
Mayor Antonio Renacia of Sibulan, Negros Oriental indicated the hometown folk of Jaca were preparing a huge welcome for him.
Pacquiao?s entourage passed through some of the busiest streets of Manila and Quezon City.
Street party
The group finally went straight to the Rajah Sulayman Park fronting Baywalk, where Pacquiao was to be the main honoree in the ?Tribute to Pinoy Champions.?
As of press time, Pacquiao and his group were seen jamming away the night with his fans and invited celebrities in the ?Hataw Pacquiao! Party ng Bayan,? event organized by Solar Sports and Solar Entertainment.
Aside from Pacquiao, the other honorees include Filipino athletes who won medals in the Southeast Asian Games and the Paralympics, Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman, Jaca and Cristina ?Tinay? Bugayong, the Grade 6 pupil, who returned P300,000 in cash and checks she found near her home.
Pacquiao is scheduled to return to his hometown in General Santos City where he will also be given a hero?s welcome. Her mother, Dionesia, will lead a special Thanksgiving Mass for her son?s triumph in Las Vegas, while RP champion Bobby Pacquiao, Manny?s younger brother, will cook kalderetang kambing, the Filipino ring idol?s favorite dish.
Meanwhile, Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. lauded Pacquiao for his humility of ?looking back? to the people, who had helped him in the past.
Abalos, a former president of the Asean Boxing Association, appealed to detractors of the Arroyo administration to stop criticizing Pacquiao for his attempt to unite the people as a nation. With reports from Ronnie Nathanielsz, Vito Barcelo, Fel V. Maragay and Rio Araja
