Everyone was glued to his tv set to watch Pacman extinguish his opponent in a 12 rounder bout. It was a big celebration for all and that the hero calls for national unity as he dedicate this and his every fight to all Filipinos around the globe.
Pacman fever grips Filipinos nationwide
By Inquirer Bureaus, Metro Staff, Philippine Daily Inquirer
www.inquirer.net, Posted 02:52:00 03/17/2008
MANILA, Philippines—While most Filipinos were cheering themselves hoarse in their living rooms, in moviehouses, and in public markets and plazas across the country, a 58-year-old woman was on her knees praying in a room in General Santos City in Mindanao.
Rather than watch a live feed of her son’s fight with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez Sunday, Manny Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia, closeted herself with three close friends in the prayer room of Pacquiao’s mansion in Lagao village, invoking God’s help.
It was the longest she’d ever prayed for her son, Dionisia said.
“We finished three mysteries of the Holy Rosary,” she said in Filipino. “We prayed for so long my knees felt numb.”
While Pacquiao and Marquez were pummeling each other 12,000 kilometers away in Las Vegas, Nevada, the crime rate across the country was down, many streets were virtually deserted, and even rebel groups watched the fight.
“The world seems better whenever Pacquiao fights,” said Carlito Cerbo, a high school teacher in Iloilo. “Everybody seems to agree on something. Let’s keep him always in the ring.”
Cerbo listened to a live radio broadcast of the fight with his father and neighbors in Dingle town, 50 km from Iloilo City.
In the packed Tacloban City Convention in Leyte, a businessman who asked not be identified was collecting his winning bet. “I won P5,000 today,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).
In Cotabato City, Eid Kabalu, civil military affairs chief of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), sent the rebel group’s congratulations to Pacquiao.
“Our troops on the ground enjoyed watching his fight,” Kabalu said. “We are happy that at least Filipinos were united even for a few hours. It was very peaceful in the region.”
Life stands still
Life seemed to have stood still in many other places as people gathered in homes, roadside eateries, shopping malls, state-owned gyms or wherever the fight was shown.
In Pampanga province, Allan Dungao, president of the Philippine Cable TV Association, said the PCTA enjoyed a 25-percent increase in the number of pay-per-view clients compared to Pacquiao’ last fight with Erik Morales, also a Mexican.
“Based on the pay-per-view hits, the growing support of cable subscribers for Pacman is unbelievably tremendous,” Dungao said.
“Everywhere, it was the same situation. In Manila, pay-per-view was very expensive. Global Destiny charged P800 and Skycable P1,500 but people still bought it,” he said.
‘Positive news’
Bars and restaurants in Angeles City cashed in on the fight.
Subdelicious, which has an all-American menu, charged P200 per viewer. Free refreshments went with the fee.
International referee Bruce McTavish observed that Pacquiao, in the fight, was “too hesitant, not [in] his usual aggressive style.”
In Nueva Ecija province, Fiorello Abenes, a US-based scientist and a visiting professor at the Central Luzon State University, said Pacquiao’s win “was one big positive news for the country.”
About 20,000 people watched the fight live in two coliseums in Isabela province.
Fever grips Manileños
The “Pacman fever” also gripped Manila residents who filled several venues around the city to watch the live telecast—for free.
At Manila’s San Andres Sports Complex and Civic Center, where a wide screen projector had been set up, jeepney driver Renato Ingalla was heard excitedly telling a friend on the phone: “Pare (Mate), you owe me P1,000.”
Posters and banners (“Pacman for President”) displayed by Pacquiao’s fans elicited laughter.
In Quiapo, Fr. Alvin Fullon, assistant parish priest, said that the fight, which coincided with Palm Sunday, did not affect church attendance.
“The church was jampacked even during the period when the fight was being shown live in some areas in Manila,” he said.
Hero’s welcome
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said the city government would organize a motorcade and a hero’s welcome for Pacquiao.
The Manila police said no untoward incidents were reported while the fight was going on, apart from a fire that hit a residential area in Sta. Ana.
Zenaida Paez clutched a white rosary in her right hand as ring announcer Michael Buffer declared, “Let’s get ready to rumble,” before the Las Vegas bout got under way.
The 67-year-old retired teacher almost lost her grip on the rosary after Pacquiao was declared the winner an hour later.
“I’m very happy not only for Pacquiao but for the whole country. God really loves the Filipino people,” said Paez who, with her 12-year-old grandson, was among the 3,000 people who filled four moviehouses in SM City North in Quezon City to watch the telecast.
Welcome respite
Abelardo Formalejo, of Bago Bantay, Quezon City, said Pacquiao’s victory gave the Filipinos a respite from the political bickerings and corruption scandals.
“In the face of all the controversies that we have seen in the past few months, Pacquiao’s victory somehow makes me feel proud to be Filipino again,” Formalejo said.
Joji Ancheta, assistant manager of SM Cinemas, said at least half of the 4,000 guaranteed seats were already sold by Saturday.
Ancheta said the management initially reserved three cinemas for the fight, but had to open another moviehouse to avoid overcrowding and accommodate those with complimentary tickets.
At the Guadalupe wet market in Makati City, it seemed as if the public couldn’t care less about the Pacquiao-Marquez fight as they went about their business, hawking or buying fish and meats.
Blaring radio
Unless one looked—or listened—closely.
Almost everyone was all ears as a radio, at maximum volume, blared out blow-by-blow updates of the match.
A small crowd of vendors and market-goers gathered around a rice selling booth, raptly listening to the radio announcers.
They burst into cheers every time Pacquiao landed a good blow, with one fish vendor shouting: “Go, go, go, Pacquiao, knock him out.”
Vacant seats
Elsewhere, the mood was less than enthusiastic.
At an appliance store overlooking EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Avenue), all TV monitors were tuned in to a local channel airing Mass instead of the Las Vegas fight.
By regular movie standards, the crowd who watched the fight in the six SM Megamall Cinemas in Mandaluyong City was huge. But compared to Pacquiao’s past battles, the turnout was smaller, a cinema worker said.
Ping Ama, a checker from Solar Sports, the company that held the rights to the fight, said there were more vacancies in the seats compared to Pacquiao’s past fights.
“Before, there were still plenty of people coming in at 10 a.m., but now, there were few,” she said in Filipino.
Ama said the price could have been the factor.
Cure for hunger
Tickets for the Pacquiao-Marquez fight cost P450-P550. Tickets for the last Pacquiao-Barrera battle fetched P350-P450, she said.
But there were also more malls that showed Sunday’s fight, she added. In the past, only SM Cinemas showed Pacquiao’s fights.
Deposed President Joseph Estrada, who watched the bout at the San Juan City arena with his son Mayor Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, said the match helped the poor forget their problems even for a short time.
“It’s a win for the Filipino people. It temporarily eased the hunger of the poor,” Estrada said.
Mother’s wish
Pacquiao’s mother revealed her one wish after learning of her son’s victory: She said she would like Pacquiao to gift her and her family a trip to Boracay Island in Aklan province.
She said: “Boracay would be nice. I haven’t been there.”
Pacquiao’s father, Rosalio, said he would not request for anything from his son.
“I don’t ask anything from Manny. He just gives on his own volition,” he told the Inquirer newspaper.
The two parents live separately.
Dionisia laughed when asked if Rosalio would go with them to Boracay, saying: “We can’t decide for him. May magagalit na iba (Someone else would get angry).”
Unlike his estranged wife, Rosalio watched the fight.
“I almost collapsed when Manny became a bit groggy in the second round after a heavy punch from Marquez hit him. You see, I am suffering from high blood pressure,” Rosalio said.
Generous son
Asked if he looked forward to joining the family trip to Boracay, he said the place was too far and would cost money. “I’ll just stay home,” he added.
The Filipino ring idol has given Rosalio a three-bedroom house in San Isidro village in General Santos City.
“My house cost Manny more than one million pesos,” he said. “He had a house built not only for his parents but for his siblings also.”
The city government of General Santos has promised to give a grand hero’s welcome for Pacquiao. Reports from Tina Santos, DJ Yap, Marlon Ramos, Kristine Alave and Marlon Ramos in Metro Manila; Aquiles Zonio, Edwin O. Fernandez and Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao; Tonette Orejas and Anselmo Roque, Inquirer Central Luzon, Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon; and Carla P. Gomez, Jhunnex Napallacan, Ma. Diosa Labiste and Joey Gabieta, Visayas Bureau
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