Manny Pacquiao

Congressman Emmanuel Dapidran "Pacman" Pacquiao Delivered his "1st Privileged Speech"

July 28, 2010

The lone District of Sarangani Province Representative, Congressman Emmanuel Dapidran “Pacman” Pacquiao Delivered his “1st Privileged Speech” during the Opening of the 15th Congress in the House of Representative.

He said 40 percent of his province mates “have no adequate housing, no adequate food and no proper nutrition.”

“For those 40 percent, it’s not just a statistic. It’s their daily experience of life. Numbers are very useful for all sorts of things. But numbers don’t tell us what something is really like. For that, we need imagination. Better yet, actual experience. For me, poverty was an actual experience. I know what it feels like to do without a home, to do without food. I know what’s like to go hungry. That was me for the first half of my life,” he told his colleagues.

“Yes! I knew hunger, homelessness, and what it was like to want to go to school but unable to do so. Life then seemed hopeless. I still sometimes find it hard to believe that I am now where I am,” he said.

He said Sarangani is a “one-livelihood province” that relies only on fishing

as its people’s means of livelihood.

“But why should we confine ourselves to fishing? We also have corn, rice and coconut. These industries are crying out to be improved. And that is one of the things we will do. We will improve the production, post-harvest and marketing processes for corn, rice

and coconut. Yes! We are going to diversify,” he said.

He said they would also go into “cooperative coffee farming, which we are already studying.”

“Livelihood is the first important thing on our agenda. Without a source of livelihood, people go hungry. But there are two other things just as crucial. One of them is health. Did you know that Sarangani does not have a provincial hospital?” he stressed.

He pointed out that the other concern he would like to attend to is education.

“We are going to make sure that there is continuous educational upgrading in Sarangani… we will coordinate with Tesda (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) on what the most relevant and useful programs are. We are also going to put up the Placement Assistance Coordination and Manpower Assessment Network Centers, or Pacman Centers for short,” he said.

“I can barely contain my excitement about what Sarangani can become, will become. I am eager too that I will be part of these improvements in my province,” he said.

“But I have a special request to make of you, my colleagues, and of the people of Sarangani. There is something else I want to contribute and I hope you will give me your blessing. I want to do something for the Filipino athlete

. I want us to work together, and to work very hard, to win the first Filipino gold medal in the Olympics,” he added.

The boxing champion-turned-lawmaker thanked his wife Jinkee for her “loving support… and every Filipino who has ever watched and cheered for Manny Pacquiao.”

“So let’s get started on this road to progress. I am tempted to quote Robert Front - ‘the woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.’ However, in the effervescence of my youth, I chose Michael Buffer’s famous line, ‘Let’s get ready to rumble!’,” he said.

“But in the same fashion that I end my fights, let me leave you with this prayer that I carry with me all these years - ‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference’,” he said.

Pacquiao also told his colleagues that he had asked himself frequently if he could be a “good congressman.”

“And my resounding answer is, with my heart in the right place, my work ethic, my discipline, and my commitment to learn from wiser and more experienced people such as all of you here today, yes, I can be a good congressman,” he said.

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The return of Manny Pacquiao

March 22, 2010

Like a victorious general returning to ancient Rome, boxing champ Manny Pacquiao arrived to a hero’s welcome on Monday and shared his latest triumph with his cheering fans.

The ring superstar, along with his wife Jinkee and his entourage, arrived on board Philippine Airlines flight 103 from Los Angeles at around 5:45 am, eight days since retaining his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown via a 12-round domination of tough Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey in Texas.

“Masayang-masaya ako at nakabalik na ako sa Pilipinas at makakapiling uli ang mga anak ko. Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng sumuporta at nagdasal para sa akin sa last fight ko,” the champ said.

Pacquiao children Jemuel and Princess led the welcome party and well-wishers for the 31-year-old fighter and his wife Jinkee at the NAIA Terminal 2, greeting their parents with a warm hug and kiss. Also present were his political ally Sen. Manny Villar and Deputy National Security Adviser Chavit Singson.

Unlike his arrival from his last two gigs in the US, this one’s practically free from controversies and issues that need addressing upon setting foot on local soil.

Remember his return from the Cotto fight last November, when a reported spat with wife Jinkee spread like wildfire? Mr. and Mrs. Pacquiao eventually arrived hand in hand, sharing a kiss at least twice at the airport to dispel rumors.

Earlier, last May, the AH1N1 (swine flu) scare nearly spoiled Pacquiao’s post-Ricky Hatton party, with the Department of Health advising the fighter to defer his return and undergo self-quarantine in the US first. The pound-for-pound king returned as scheduled, knocked out all worries about the deadly virus and went about his usual post-fight parade.

With no marital or health issue hounding him this time, Pacquiao had all the time to focus on his boxing.

Asked about Clottey, whom he failed to knock out, Pacquiao said: “Matibay din kaya nakatapos ng 12 rounds.”

As to the much in-demand megabout with Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the Pacman said bring “Money May” on. “Open ako na lumaban sa kanya. Anytime, pwede ako, basta magkasundo [on fight terms].”

There’s also the possibility that Pacquiao-Mayweather would no longer see the light of day as his mother, Dionesia, has been begging him to hang up his gloves.

“Pwedeng hindi na umabot doon sa Mayweather fight, pwedeng mag-announce na ako ng retirement, pag-uusapan pa namin ng pamilya,” he said.

With the elections looming, Sarangani congressional bet Pacquiao couldn’t help but talk about politics, declaring his readiness to go on the campaign trail beginning March 26.

“Handa na ako, bago pa man ako lumaban kay Clottey, nakahanda na ako sa kampanya. Anyway, March 26 pa naman ang start ng campaign [for local candidates], may ilang araw pa ako para makapiling ang mga anak ko bago mangampanya,” he said.

He also took the time out to bat for the partylist group, Partido ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA), which he said aims to help Filipino athletes who have the potential to bring honor to the country as well, especially with his possible retirement in the horizon.

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Pacquiao vs. Chiongbian or Dominguez for congressional bid - May 10, 2010 election

June 10, 2009

The Chiongbian Family, who has practically created Sarangani, has expressed confidence that they could maintain their hold on the province.

Sarangani was part of South Cotabato until 1992 when it was “fathered” by the late congressman James Chiongbian (father of incumbent Erwin).

Since then the province remained under the Chiongbian clan.

While the clan is confident of maintaining their hold through Gov. Dominguez, the governor seems to have apprehensions about facing Pacquiao inside the political ring.

A political clan in Sarangani said it remains unfazed even with Manny Pacquiao’s announcement of congressional bid in their province.

The celebrated Filipino boxer, who has just beaten 10-time world boxing champ Oscar de la Hoya, went to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Kiamba on Monday to register as a voter in Sarangani.

The possible opponent of Manny Pacquiao was Roy Chiongbian or Gov. [Miguel Rene] Dominguez on  congressional race, while Rep. Erwin Chiongbian Sarangani  Province was already serving his third and final term.

 

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Congressman Manny Pacquiao (Pacman 2010)

May 11, 2009

When a man has everything in this country, what does he do?

He enters politics.

Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is a billionaire (in peso terms) who can afford not to work for the rest of his life. He enjoys international fame and has reaped honors for his country. He has a solid family.

What more can a man who has accomplished so much at a young age want??

He wants to become a congressman in 2010.

Maybe Pacquiao doesn’t like being defeated in anything, and must prove that if he can be a world champion in the ring, he can also win big in another arena.

But just to make sure, he’s not going for a rematch with the Antonino clan of his native South Cotabato, where the youthful Darlene Antonino-Custodio trounced him in the race for a congressional seat in 2007.

Instead “Pacman” is relocating to neighboring Sarangani, where he has already bought property to satisfy the residency requirement for those running for a seat in the House of Representatives in May 2010.

His potential rivals in Sarangani are already preparing to portray him to voters as a carpetbagger.

Meanwhile, some of his fans are trying to dissuade him from entering the dirty world of Philippine politics.

These fans lament that the political hangers-on who accompany Pacquiao or watch all his matches diminish the celebration of his boxing victories.

But it’s a free country, and as Joseph Estrada likes to remind everyone since his absolute pardon, if he can vote, he can be voted upon.

The Commission on Elections has approved the registration of Pacquiao’s own political party.

Pacquiao is well within his right to run for the House, or even the Senate, where his critics believe he can increase membership in the committee on silence headed by former action star Lito Lapid.

The worst that can happen to Pacquiao is that he loses his bid for the second time, plus a great deal of money in the campaign. But if he can throw away a fortune in the casinos of Las Vegas, he can afford to throw away part of his substantial nest egg in a political campaign.

The size of that nest egg is already beyond the wildest dreams of the average resident of Sarangani, and Pacquiao still has a few more fights – and a few more million dollars in earnings – to go before he retires from boxing.

Even after three more fights, Pacquiao will be too young to enjoy retirement. He needs to do something. And never one to set his sights low, he’s aiming for political office.

 

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