Manny Pacquiao is known the world
over for his boxing abilities, but in the Philippines he's also a
national hero beyond the ring. -- Manny Pacquiao is not a god, but that doesn't stop millions of Filipinos worshipping him.
Since his first professional fight at 16, Pacquiao has amassed a formidable professional record of 54-5-2.
He is arguably the most
famous person in the country's history, a world title holder 10 times
over and the first person to earn belts in eight separate weight
divisions, and in 2012 was one of the highest paid athletes on earth,
earning upwards of $62 million, more than Tiger Woods, Lebron James,
Roger Federer and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In addition, he is an actor, TV host and singer. Oh, and in 2010, voters also elected Pacquiao to the Philippines' House of Representatives, where he serves the district of Sarangani.
Pacquiao's story reads something closer to fable than fact.
The man who earned the
title "Fighter of the Decade" in the 2000s by the World Boxing Council
(WBC), comes from the humblest of roots.
Born in 1978 in a small
village called Kibawe, Pacquiao lived with his mother and five brothers
and sisters: "When I was young my parents were jobless. We had no home.
Sometimes we can't even afford to have a single meal a day," says
Pacquiao.
"When you see my
slippers, one is green, one is red. And they had holes. I would walk the
streets to sell, that's how I made my living as a kid. I felt sorry for
my mother. I wanted so badly to study. I stopped though and pursued
boxing."
At 14, Manny moved to Manila where he says he lived for a time under a cardboard box in a city park.
He found work as a
servant for a rich man. Luckily, he was treated well, he says. When he
began boxing as a teenager, he admits having to put rocks in his pockets
to make the minimum weight of 105 pounds (47kg).
When he was 16, Pacquiao
decided to pursue a professional boxing career. At 4'11'' and weighing
98 pounds, it's unlikely he struck much fear in those early opponents.
But his fast fists and unrelenting toughness quickly earned him respect.
He gained global
recognition in 2001, when as a late replacement, he beat IBF Super
Bantamweight title holder Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao won the fight by
technical knockout to win the title, his second major boxing world
title.
Ten years later, I'm standing in the middle of the MGM Grand's casino.
"Do you want to meet him?" The question came across the table from a documentary film producer, who was profiling Pacquiao.
It was May 6, 2011, the
night before the champion would defend his WBO Welterweight title
against Shane Mosley. The Las Vegas strip buzzed with energy, gamblers
and partiers just getting started as it neared midnight. Of course, I
said yes.
As we got off the
elevator and walked down the hallway to his penthouse suite, I had the
same feeling you might get when entering a special, reverential space.
Two bodyguards flanked the door. They recognized my friend and let us
pass.
I had expected a
reverential, ascetic scene. A peaceful room dotted with his family and
close friends speaking in hush tones, careful not to disturb their
leader as he prepared to do battle in less than 24 hours.
What I found instead was
a mob. At least 100 people had packed into his hotel room. Most were
Filipino well-wishers. As we tried to make our way in, someone told us
Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, had retreated to the bedroom. We left,
but I wasn't disappointed. I figured I would soon get to know him well
in Manila.
That night I had drinks
with his security guard. I wanted to get to know the man I would be
covering. I wanted to hear what he was like from a person who was often
closest to him, his bodyguard, in an unguarded moment.
He offered little dirt.
"Manny is a very nice guy. Very good to the people around him. He
believes he is here for a purpose. That his rise means he has a
responsibility to take his position and do something good with it."
Pacquiao won the fight
easily. I watched it from the media room. Afterwards, Pacquiao felt good
enough to perform a concert at the Mandalay Bay Hotel across from the
MGM Grand Casino.
He said: "I consider my
experience in life as an advantage in all that I do. I was down there
and I have made my way up here now. I have experienced it all. I was
trained through all the hardships of life, so I feel the pain of the
poor."
In 2010, shortly after
being elected as a congressman from Sarangani district, he had given a
speech in which he argued the country must do more to organize and fund
the efforts of anti-trafficking agencies. Immediately, he began working
with the Visayan Forum, at the time, the largest anti-trafficking
charity in the country.
"I think Manny is a very
important milestone in our fight against human trafficking here in the
Philippines because young people actually believe and listen to Manny,"
says Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director of the Visayan Forum Foundation, a charity founded in 1991 to help victims of domestic servitude and forced prostitution.
"He's a hard-working
guy, he came from a very poor family. He inspires a lot of people. Of
course, everybody wants Manny in their own campaign, but I'm happy Manny
is joining our fight."
