MANNY Pacquiao not only brought together a divided country on that memorable Sunday when he gave Erik Morales a severe beating during their blockbuster super-featherweight rematch in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He also united a long lost couple—her parents.
It’s been a common knowledge that Manny’s parents had long been separated, even way before the younger Pacquiao began to make a name for himself.
But while chances of the two reconciling at this point may be deemed impossible, at least on this important day in the life of their beloved son, Dionisia and Rosalio Pacquiao were one again.
“Matagal na ‘yun. Napatawad ko na siya,” said the Pacquiao matriarch, a deeply-religious woman whom the ‘Pacman’ credited for making him a God-fearing man.
The two had long lived separate lives and were not together when Pacquiao fought Morales for the second time last week.
Dionisia, who went to Church and attended an early morning mass on the day of the fight, was at the grandiose Pacquiao house in Barangay Labangal in General Santos City the whole day of Sunday, while Rosalio watched the 12-round bout his son won via a sensational 10th round technical knockout in a small eatery by the town plaza.
But their paths would eventually cross for the first time in a long while a few days after what has been the biggest victory in Manny’s career ` and perhaps, in the history of Philippine boxing.
Civil to each other, the two agreed to a patch interview together at the Pacquiao home in GenSan and hooked in Los Angeles, California, where Manny stayed.
That was only the beginning of a series of get-together for the couple.
They were at it again yesterday morning when they joined Manny in a live interview over the program Unang Hirit at GMA-7 straight from the Hyatt hotel suite, where the Pacquiaos stayed briefly upon arrival from the US.
The Filipino southpaw embraced and kissed the hand of his father when the two came face-to-face for the first time, and then later on, ushered his mother and let her sat beside her husband that drew a round of applause from those watching the proceedings.
Manny thanked both his parents, to whom he said he owed his success.
“Nay, maraming salamat sa gabay at pag-aaruga mo sa akin. Pinalaki mo ako ng may takot sa Panginoon,” said the younger Pacquiao.
“Maraming salamat din sa iyo, tay. Ipag-shopping kita ng sapatos. Ituro mo lang kung ano ang gusto mo sa department store,” said a smiling Pacquiao.
On the proddings of his son and those who were around, the couple embraced before Mang Rosalio gave Aling Dionisia a buzz on the cheek to the cheers of the crowd.
Pacquiao knows deep inside that his mother and father may no longer live as husband and wife again.
But at least, they were together again even for a brief moment to join their son in his moment of triumph.
In the same manner the rest of the Filipino people did.
