If there’s one thing Filipinos can be proud of, it’s Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao. Just last week, Manny won over Mexican Hector Velasquez in six rounds of a title bout held in Staples Center, Los Angeles. Not only did Filipinos rejoice over this victory, but it also brought new hope for our Filipinos. The greater news is that all three Filipinos who fought that night won their respective matches. Brian Viloria won his championship in the first round over another Mexican, while Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista knocked his opponent down in the third round. On this Sunday morning, Filipinos were again filled with pride and jubilation.
This may be a week late already, but it was brought back to my senses because this morning, I witnessed a heated argument about Manny Pacquiao’s success on the way to office. During our trip, one shuttlemate started the conversation regarding Manny’s wife, whom they thought improved aesthetically since Manny became a superstar. Then, one mentioned how lucky Manny Pacquiao is now that he has fame and fortune. However, our driver reminded the group that every Filipino boxer in history went broke after retiring from boxing because of their lavish lifestyles and over-confident behaviors. Thus, he sees that considering his gambling habits, it only takes a matter of time before he suffers the same fate. Then, one shuttlemate (probably a Manny Pacquiao fan) lambasted the driver for his “crab mentality” over Manny’s success. She even added “Kaya tayo hindi umaasenso eh dahil sa mga kagaya niyo eh. Bakit hindi niyo na lang sabihing magaling yun tao.” After this, the shuttle bus went silent…
In this morning trip, I learned two things. First, our driver was right. If success gets into our heads, we’re dead meat. Just like the rest of the former Filipino champs. Manny Pacquiao, having had this gift, has so much more responsibility in his hands. He not only needs to take care of his finances so that his family would not suffer in the future, but he also needs to take care of his image to the public because right now, he is considered Filipino’s only spark of hope. To some, He is their source of strength because he is the living example that a Filipino could surpass poverty just as long as he strives for the best. Just like what the ring commentators said, he is the real rags-to-riches story. And to some, he is the modern-day hero who makes us proud of being Filipinos.
Second, the shuttlemate who criticized our driver was also, in a way, right. People nowadays are so skeptic of the successes of other people. Instead of being proud of their fellow countrymen, some people criticized them destructively, find faults, or sometimes even look for flaws instead of their successes. This might be one of the many reasons why our country is still in holocaust after all these years. It is sad to mention this fact, but it is so true. I just hope we just be happy that there are still people who succeed amidst crises in our country so that we be inspired and also strive to make it to the top.
Just some thoughts that I think are worth sharing.
Congrats to Manny Pacquiao…
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