But I will also be looking at how much speed is lost from the two fighters who have been going at each other’s throat since fighting to a close and controversial split draw in 2004.

Two more fights in between, they will enter the ring on December 9 (Philippine time) with a little less mane (Marquez) and few more scars (Pacquiao).

Before he left for his Wild Card Gym leg of training, Pacquiao got rid of his beard but kept the moustache and trimmed his locks.  (Did his Head and Shoulder advertisement contract already expire?)

Pacquiao’s new look may be a paean of his own old self – when he was boxing’s fastest and biggest gun because he needed as much speed against probably boxing’s fastest draw.

Yes.  Both boxers are good, if not the best, with their limbs.

Pacquiao is non par riel as far as foot speed and footwork is concerned.

Marquez is as lethal as any venomous serpent with his hands.

Both are heavy punchers but Pacquiao owns probably the most explosive left hand around. But as they add years to their boxing life, their reflexes also wear them out.  They, too become predictable.  Blame old habits.  And old habits die hard.

Against any other ordinary mortals, I will place my bet on an old Marquez and an aging Pacquiao – anytime.

Trouble is these two are no mere mortals like us.  They are demigods of the square ring.

When two lords of the ring collide, they cannot forever fight to a draw.   Eventually one of them will become the decisive victor, the other a pitiful vanquished.

That is why it is essential for me to observe early on who has lost THE step.

At 33 going 34, Pacquiao is still bouncy.   But he already logged so many fights some threads may have already lost tractions.  It can affect his foot speed.  No wonder conditioning coach Alex Ariza is again pushing Pacquiao to do more isometric exercises to regain some of the lost speed.  Pacquiao today will no longer be as quick with his footwork as he was eight years ago.  But a little push, nay a harder one, could restore some of the lost memory of his leg and calf muscles.

Team Pacquiao knows Marquez will again lay in ambush and wait for Pacquiao to commit and make some stupid mistake of staying in front of him.

Marquez, 39, needs to prove he can still pull the trigger.

How he will deploy his trap will dictate how he will negate Pacquiao’s still above-average and still blistering pace.  If he comes like the aging Oscar de la Hoya, [like] when the latter stood in front of the smaller Pacquiao, it would be an early lights out for him.

But for Pacquiao, it is essential to avoid the Marquez ambush.

He has to be the sly fox who wears out his victim.

Oh, I can’t wait to see who outwits who and who outpunches who.

You too? (Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com)

In a game that is dictated by power, speed is one great equalizer.

Eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is one of the gifted prize fighters that possesses both. That was until he stopped shedding weight before a fight by depriving him of two or three meals before weighing time.

In his last three fights, Pacquiao has shown a remarkable dip in his speed. No thanks to his erratic training regimen and the many distractions that attended his training camp. Of course, Pacquiao has also aged and speed is the first casualty of the aging process.

Pacquiao has not knocked out any of his last five opponents, one of them the same guy he will face for the fourth time on December 8 (December 9 Philippine time), Juan Manuel Marquez.

The last time Pacquiao checked in for a fight, he looked too flabby from his sinewy but ripped body of yore – when he was a hungry predator moving up to the top of the food chain. Of course we knew he lost that fight albeit a sacrilegious defeat for the sports of boxing because come to think about it, Pacquiao was robbed big time.

The degeneration of Pacquiao’s speed was evident on the night he did everything but knockout Timothy Bradley.

He was also a changed man that night. When he lost to Erik Morales in their first fight in 2005, Pacquiao was a picture of a dejected but defiant loser. With Bradley, he looked more like a forgiving preacher, his disbelief masked by his dry smile. Something in that night suggested Pacquiao lost some of his zeal and hunger.

Once zeal and hunger disappear, the drive and the push also slow down. Lethargy comes in. These Pacquiao cannot afford to lose in a pivotal fourth encounter with Marquez.

Marquez had already proven he got Pacquiao’s number. Nobody has ever given Pacquiao the fits than Marquez. Their first three fights were so close they could have gone either way. On record, however, Pacquiao holds the edge with 2 wins and a draw. Pacquiao also had the edge in highlight reel moments, knocking down Marquez four times in those three fights. But Marquez also demonstrated he can keep up with Pacquiao. What he lacked in foot speed, he more than made up with his piston-like punches that often times troubled Pacquiao if not untracked the Filipino boxing icon.

The beauty in these two boxers is that they play to each others’ strength and weaknesses.

Pacquiao needs to go back to his old unpredictable ways and the only way to do it is to regain some of his lost steps.

Marquez is like a rattlesnake which coils before it strikes at his attacker. If Pacquiao has lost some of his speed, you can bet Marquez is also a step or two behind his old self. At 39, Marquez’ thighs and calves could no longer keep up with Pacquiao’s still bouncy steps although the sting of his punches is still lethal.

Pacquiao needs to run circle around Marquez and discard his recently developed habit of standing in front of his opponent. He has lately become more predictable – darting forward and backward, a style that could easily fall prey to the counterpunching ways of Marquez who is a master of the technique.

Pacquiao will also have to devise several battle plans. Today, Pacquiao’s unorthodox boxing style is one of the most studied moves by challengers and pretenders hoping to arrange a date with him. Marquez is no different. In fact, he is already several notches above the rest with three close and competitive fights behind him.

Pacquiao too needs to rediscover his killer instinct while at the same time be patient in the early going. He should go for the early kill only when presented the opportunity. Otherwise he must first tire up Marquez and set him up for a late knockout like a raccoon that is among the few that can measure up with a rattlesnake.

To sum it all up, all he needs is speed, speed and speed as he is still the bigger puncher. (Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com)

Ramon Manlunas, president of the Bukidnon Football Association, announced Tuesday that the province will have its “world-class football center” by summer of 2013, the expected time of completion of construction work.

The project, the first in Mindanao, is released under the Goal Project 4 grant of FIFA and is meant to “create a bigger base for Philippine football and encourage grassroots development for the sport.”

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) – Bukidnon Football Association (BUFA) counterpart, Manlunas added, is a five-hectare land in Barangay Hagkol donated by the Garcia family in Valencia.

BUFA will run the center upon its expected opening in May 2013, he said in the press conference in time for the launching of the PFF Smart National Club Championship – Northern Mindanao Playoffs, which will be held here from October 17 to 21.

Manlunas said Bukidnon’s win in the bid took a long way in the FIFA selection process.

The other contenders for the project, he said, were the football association in the cities of Dapitan, Davao and Tagum.

He said the 17 provincial football associations in Mindanao eventually voted to locate the facility in Bukidnon.

“We are at the center, the heart of Mindanao. Valencia City is also the heart of Bukidnon (geographically),” he added.

The project was initially offered to Del Monte Philippines, Inc. in Manolo Fortich in 2010, where there is a wide following for football. But he said the donation of land in Valencia City gave it away.

The groundbreaking at the project site was held last July 2012, according to Marie Joy Gamboa, BUFA secretary-general.

FIFA is supervising the construction of the project, BUFA officials said. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)

Three local schools – Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU), Butuan Doctors College (BDC) and Agusan Colleges Incorporated (ACI) – joined Saturday’s race as part of the Run and Row for Mother Earth, an event held at the Philippine Ports Authority riverside complex in the city.

Fr. Chito Butardo, vice president of FSUU cited the initial efforts that all three schools have put into pioneering the sport in the region.

“The event has been a huge success and it all started with just three schools. Hopefully, as the sports progresses more and more teams not only from other schools but [also] institutions would join in our efforts and make the event bigger,” he said.

The school official said he is looking forward to the day that Butuan would be able to send a team to compete in the national level.

“We hope to position ourselves in making Butuan City the dragon boat capital of Caraga region and hopefully throughout Mindanao. This we know is a huge undertaking, but since we try to pursue this as a mainstream sport, we hope to create and develop dragon boat teams that are capable in competing outside Butuan,” Butardo said.

Pebbles Estacio, assistant executive administrative officer of BDC said the school team was excited and thrilled at having finally experienced the race.

“Experiencing the race is much too different from the practice and training that they all go through. The race is a test and a benchmark on how our team fares with the rest of the competing teams and hopefully make adjustments from it,” said Estacio.

She emphasized that even if it did not win in any of the three race categories, the school was still proud for the enthusiasm the students had shown during the race.

Thucyoides C. Sadiasa, ACI chairman of the board welcomed the turn of events as beneficial to both the schools and the community since it has created a happy atmosphere along the river.

“The river is once again alive; you can see people along the riverside cheering while the race was ongoing. This effort will hopefully bring more people and awareness about our mighty Agusan River,” said Sadiasa.

Roland Mark T. Torralba, team captain of FSUU, pointed out the changes and how much the different teams have developed.

“Since the start of our training last July, you can see how much the performance has grown. Now we are well synchronized and the discipline level has significantly matured. We do acknowledge that there are still a lot of things we can learn to be at par with other teams nationwide,” Torralba, a 4th year law student, said. (Erwin Mascarinas/MindaNews)

“It is Marquez for his December 8 fight,” Gacal said in a phone interview.

Gacal will accompany Pacquiao in the trip.

Details of the fight are to be announced later with Pacquiao to immediately start the fight’s promotional tour while in the US.

It is believed that among the contentious issues preventing Pacquiao from agreeing to another fight deal with Marquez is his guaranteed purse.

Gacal however declined to give any comment on how much Pacquiao will get in this fight.

“It is still subject to discussion,” Gacal said.

Pacquiao and Marquez fought three memorable battles – all ending up in close and hairline decisions.

Pacquiao however enjoys the edge over Marquez having won two of their previous fights via split decisions.  Their first fight ended in a controversial draw in May 2004 after Marquez survived three knockdowns in the first round to rally and retain his World Boxing Council featherweight crown.

The Filipino boxing icon however rose to become the number one pound-for-pound boxing king and replaced Oscar de la Hoya as a king of pay per view fights in 2009.

Pacquiao is coming off a controversial loss against American Timothy Bradley where he lost his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.

Many believed Pacquiao was robbed of the decision.  The Nevada State Athletic Commission later asked the judges who scored the fight to explain their scores.  No sanctions were however imposed against the judges.

Pacquiao is widely believed to be contemplating retirement as he seemed to be running out of marquee opponents with the exception of the flamboyant Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather however keeps on insisting on his terms before taking a much anticipated fight with Pacquiao.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is being touted as a possible fight of the century affair between two of the biggest box office attractions in boxing.

The two are also up in the mythical Top 2 pound-for-pound boxing king list of many boxing scribes.

Gacal said Pacquiao will still return to the Philippines after signing the fight deal with Marquez before going into serious training.

Coach Freddie Roach has already expressed his desire to have Pacquiao in the US in the duration of his training.

Roach said Marquez has always given Pacquiao a hard fight.

The 53-year-old American top boxing coach said Pacquiao must not have any of the distractions that attended his previous fights as a loss to Marquez could spoil his box office appeal. (Edwin Espejo / MindaNews contributor)

Three anglers had already set off on the second day of the promising tournament when strong winds and swollen seas again struck.

The rest of the participants coming from Manila, Cebu and host General Santos were no longer allowed to come out as the weather grew rougher at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

A total of 12 anglers set sail from the Tan-owned SACI wharf Monday morning.

Tan said the anglers were disappointed but promised to be back next year.

Test cast

Tan said fishermen who were sent in advance for test angling were able to catch two yellowfin tuna the day before the anglers arrived at the fish aggregating device (FAD) deployed some 56 nautical miles southwest of General Santos.

“We saw tuna jumping all over when we arrived,” Tan said.

The first day of the tournament however yielded zero catch with only Canadian Richard Sharpe reporting a strike. He however failed to land his catch.

“It was a double strike but my lines got entangled,” he later reported at the end of the first day despite the anglers getting their taste of fishing weather down south were the country’s handline tuna fishers who made General Santos famous as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines.”

Called off

Still, the anglers were excited going into the second day. Despite an overcast skies, some anglers were already off and running but another gale struck just as the rest of the anglers were about to be roped off.

Thinking it was just a passing one, Tan waited for about an hour before allowing the rest of the anglers to go out. But at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Tan, a reserve commodore in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, received radio reports that high waves are going their direction due to a brewing low pressure area farther south of the FAD.

Tan decided to call off the tournament on account of bad weather.

Before the start of the tournament, a low pressure area east of Mindanao was already spotted. Although the LPA eventually turned into a tropical storm it went upward the direction of Quezon in Luzon. Although the tropical storm Helen was far from the fishing ground, its tailwind turned the seas off Celebes into a rough one, making tuna angling dangerous.

Coming back

Sixty-three-year-old David Sharpe, a former member of the Royal British Navy and a retired fireman, said he enjoyed the trip although he was disappointed the tournament was canceled.

Asked if he will be back next year, he said: “Heck, I will be back next month.”

His son Richard later told the welcome party organized by the city government upon their arrival Tuesday evening that he too is coming back and will bring more anglers next year.

Lawyer Gordon Uy, a member of the board of directors of the Philippine Game Fishing Foundation, said more anglers will be interested in joining the tuna fishing tournament which, he added, is the most difficult of all game fishing competition.

He urged organizers to give advance notice of the tournament next year.

“Preferably by January so that it can be calendared for next year’s schedule of game fishing tournaments,” Uy said.

Freak accident

Injury struck one of the participants as Wilson Tan, a Chinese national from Manila who was among the three anglers able to go out on the second day, suffered a deep wound above his right ankle when he slipped from a motorized banca as he was being transferred to a tender boat which brought him to the secretariat yacht.

Luckily, a doctor-angler was also on board as participant and immediately administered the first aid. He was later brought to the hospital.

Dr. Benedicto Albano said Tan’s cut was superficial and did not damage any muscle tissue and artery.

The tournament participants were (from Manila) Grodon Uy, Wilson Tan, Joseph Lee, Jimmy Soner and King Nocom. From Cebu were father-and-son tandem David and Richard Sharpe. Marfenio Tan, Alex Ong, Erico Uy, Dr. Benedicto Albano and Fructuoso Pacayra represented the host city General Santos. (Edwin G. Espejo / MindaNews contributor)

Thousands of young potential athletes from various local government units (LGUs) in the island are expected to converge in Northern Mindanao’s regional center to vie for the right to represent their LGUs to the national finals.

A total of 10 sport disciplines will be competed in the week-long event, including medal-rich swimming and athletics, arnis, boxing, badminton, chess, karatedo, lawn tennis, taekwondo and table tennis.

Apart from staging the qualifying sport events, the national finals for golf and pencak silat will be played in Cagayan de Oro, the capital of Misamis Oriental also known as the “City of Golden Friendship.”

Atty. Leon Du M. Gan, Cagayan de Oro City administrator, and Atty. Jay Alano, head of the National Events and Competition Office of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), recently discussed the role of the city government as host of the games.

The PSC will bankroll the conduct of the games for children 15 years old and below while the LGU will shoulder the expenses of their participation in the Batang Pinoy games that serves as the national sports competition program for in- and out-of-school youth.

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and National Sports Associations (NSA), both non-government entities and internationally recognized authorities in different sports, shall run and oversee the technical management of the event, according to the PSC.

The top finishers in the qualifying sport events will march their way to the national finals slated December 8 to 11 in Ilo-ilo City.

In an interview, Pochollo Elegino, Davao City Sports Development Division officer-in-charge, said they are now preparing for their participation in the Mindanao qualifying of the Batang Pinoy games, which was held last year in Zamboanga City.

“As far as I am concerned, I want to join in all the qualifying events to give our athletes a chance to showcase their skills in a competition like this,” Elegino told MindaNews.

“But it is subject to the availability of funds as advised to me by the Office of the City Mayor,” he added.

Davao City placed second in the Mindanao qualifying event last year behind the host city, Zamboanga City, which bagged the overall championship with a total medal haul of 85 golds, 105 silvers and 61 bronzes.

Led by its swimmers, judokas and arnis competitors, Davao City collected 36 gold medals, 31 silvers and 47 bronzes.

After the Mindanao leg, a qualifying tournament will be conducted in Tacloban City, Leyte for the Visayas leg. Three legs were conducted earlier in the National Capital Region (Marikina City), Northern Luzon (Pangasinan) and Southern Luzon (Oriental Mindoro).

The Batang Pinoy Games, which was last held in 2004 in Puerto Princesa City, was revived last year to boost the country’s search for future national team standouts.

“We revived the program because of the PSC mandate of grassroots development and the need to expand the base of young athletes,” PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia had said.

“Yes we’ve got college-level athletes very much on the radar, but Batang Pinoy will enable us to reach further and tap that athletic talent before it even blooms, identifying the really young athletes so they can have the best training they deserve,” he added. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

In an interview after the Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) board meeting, Del Rosario said the P242-million state-of-the-art sports complex will be turned over to the provincial government on December 12.

“Our next move is to host the Palarong Pambansa,” he said after the DAVRAA board declared Davao del Norte as the host of the regional games in February during its meeting at the Department of Education (DepEd) Region XI office.

Mati City in Davao Oriental also bid for the hosting of the DAVRAA games but Mayor Michelle Rabat later conceded to Davao del Norte.

Del Rosario said the provincial government has planned of hosting the country’s biggest multi-sports event for elementary and secondary students “a long time ago.”

He said hosting the Palaro is one of the top priorities of his administration as “we have to utilize the existence of our sports complex”

“That is one of my priority projects now. Hopefully, we can make it before the end of my second term,” he said.

A letter of intent to host the games will be sent to DepEd Central Office, according to Giovanni Gulanes, Davao del Norte sports coordinator.

“We will try our best to win the hosting and we can assure you that we are ready to host the Palarong Pambansa,” said Gulanes, who accompanied Del Rosario to the DAVRAA meeting.

However, Negros Occidental is bidding to host next year’s national games with Bacolod City as co-host. Evaluators from the DepEd Central Office reportedly arrived in Negros Occidental yesterday to inspect the playing venues of the province.

Negros Oriental along with Dumaguete City is also vying for the right to host the Palaro.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon declared his province is all ready to host the games.

Besides, the hosting of the Palaro has traditionally followed the Luzon-Visayas-Luzon-Mindanao order.

This year’s host was Lingayen, Pangasinan. Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte hosted the games last year.

“If we follow the pattern, the nearest we can host is the 2015 edition of the games,” said Gulanes.

Davao del Norte won the bid to host the Palarong Pambansa in 1992, but the hosting right was later cancelled due to the limited number of hotels and lodging houses in the province.

“But Tagum City (the provincial capital) and the province of Davao del Norte is very much different now,” Gulanes said.

Meanwhile, according to its official newsletter, the city government of Koronadal has manifested its intention to bid for the hosting of the 2015 Palaro.

The newsletter quoted Mayor Peter Miguel as saying he had already submitted to the DepEd his Letter of Intent when he attended the Palaro in Lingayen.

The city needs an ambitious activity like this as a way of promoting the City of Koronadal itself and the province of South Cotabato as a whole, according to the mayor. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

Ronda Pilipinas 2013, the biggest nationwide cycling race covering 2,500 kilometers through Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, will take place on January 10-February 1, 2013.

Representatives of the organizers met on Monday with Mayor Celso Lobregat, city administrator Antonio Orendain Jr. and chief executive assistant Mario Roca to discuss the details of the event.

Organizers of the race include the courier company LBC, Total and MVP Sports Foundation.

At least 96 Filipino cyclists will join the race, which offers cash prizes totalling almost P8 million, the biggest prize ever, according to Jaideep Chulani, Ronda Pilipinas 2013 project director.

From January 10-11, Chulani said the 400-strong entourage of Ronda Pilipinas 2013 will arrive in the city in time for the race day, which is on January 12 at 9 a.m. It will start at City Hall.

From Zamboanga City, the race will proceed to Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay, Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur, Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Cebu.

From Cebu, the cyclists will race towards Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Pampanga, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Valley, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet.

The Ronda Pilipinas 2013, now on its third straight year, will cover a period of 28 days.

After the meeting on Monday, Ronda Pilipinas 2013 race director Ricardo Rodriguez and race administration director Joaquin Yabut together with LBC-Western Mindanao Area head George Delgado surveyed the race route.

Lobregat has expressed elation over the development saying it will help boost the tourism promotion efforts of the city government. (MindaNews)

Christopher Soria, the new city sports coordinator, told MindaNews Thursday they will be organizing more sports events in clustered barangays to help spur sports development in the communities.

“Too much sports activities have been organized in the (city) center,” he said.

He said they have grouped the barangays into clusters to address the economic costs of organizing.

Soria, a young businessman, said the city will lean towards Larong Pinoy and indigenous sports in the communities. But he clarified that there will just be a balance of opportunities as they will also organize “Barangay Olympics” to involve all barangays.

Soria said starting this year, they are also organizing inter-school events in the city as well as inter-city sports events with neighboring Valencia City.

Even with the focus on grassroots sports, Soria said, they will also be a partner in sports tourism, which is led by the private sector.

Soria, however, noted that for 2012, they are hindered with limited budget with only about P660,000 from August to December.

Mayor Ignacio W. Zubiri hired Soria in July after the end of contract of Niko Alderguer, who was previously federation president of the city’s Sangguniang Kabataan. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)

A total of 512 children and 60 teachers from different mountainous rural barangays participated in the third leg of the Kasibulan Football Grassroots Festival which culminated last Sunday as the BANFA brought the three-day event to Barangay Maguinda.

The football program, which aims to train children from 6 to 12 years old, was launched here last April 29. Dubbed as the Kasibulan Project, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) initiated the project nationwide in partnership with different football associations aiming to further popularize and make football a mainstream sports nationwide.

“This is the very first time that such football training program is brought to a far-flung rural barangay. Truly this is what grassroots is all about; majority of these children have never experienced or even seen how football is played. We are bringing the experience of the game of football to the doorsteps of the rural kids,” said Butuan Vice Mayor Lawrence Fortun, who is also the chairman of BANFA.

Fortun expressed how thankful he is for the success of the first three legs that gained an overall participation of more than 1,500 children.

“This is a follow-through to the series of grassroots development coaching course and festival we held. It’s an opportunity for coaches to apply their knowledge and skills and for children to participate in a friendly competition to further encourage their passion for the sport and hone their skills in the process,” said Fortun.

The fourth leg of the program, which is set on August 24-26, is expected to draw more participants and an added set is planned to accommodate another rural barangay training after request poured in requesting BANFA to hold one in Barangay Tungao.

The planned city-wide Grassroots Football Festival will have tournament categories for children aged 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12. The organizers are expecting more than 1,000 players attending the event. (Erwin Mascariñas / MindaNews)

Barriga will try to crash into the quarterfinals when he faces Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov tomorrow (Saturday) at 8:45 in the evening.

Barriga provided the only bright note in the Philippine campaign at the London Olympics by overwhelming Manuel Cappai of Italy in his opening bout by a lopsided score of 17-7.

But he faces an uphill battle to barge into the medal round.

Zhakypov is a 2010 Asian Games silver medalist and is a veteran campaigner at 28 years old. The Kazakh boxer was also formerly ranked No. 1 by the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) and won the gold in the 2012 AIBA Asian qualifying event.

The 19-year-old Barriga, however, said he is already familiar with Zhakypov with whom he had held at least two sparring sessions.

But the greater challenge if Barriga hurdles the Kazakh is a possible quarterfinal date against the winner of the Round of 16 fight of Shiming Zou of China and Cuba’s Yosbany Veitia Soto. A victory in the quarterfinal will assure Barriga of at least a bronze medal.

Shiming however already owns a victory over Barriga while Soto is one of the top favorites in the light flyweight class.

Shiming defeated Barriga (12-5) in the Round of 16 at the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Shiming won the gold medal in the said tournament which also served as a qualifying event for the London Olympics.

The Philippines last won an Olympic medal (silver-light flyweight-boxing)) in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, courtesy of Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco. Velasco’s elder brother Roel also won boxing bronze in the same weight division at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Roel is now Barriga’s chief second and trainer at the London Games.

This year marked the first time since the Olympics games adopted qualifying events in boxing that the Philippines was able to send only one boxer.

Boxing has been the biggest contributor in the Philippines’ total medal count in the Olympics. Five of the nine medals won by Filipino athletes in the 19 Olympic Games they have participated came from boxing. Two of these boxing haul were silver medals.

The Philippines debuted at the 1924 Paris Games. It only skipped the Games once – in the 1980 Moscow Olympics when it joined the United States-led boycott in protest of Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan. No Games were held in 1940 and 1944 during World War II.

Barriga, who hails from Davao del Norte, needs to score five victories in order to win the light flyweight boxing gold medal.

He already had one. Four more to go. (Edwin Espejo / MindaNews contributor)

Father Saturnino Urios Unversity (FSSU), Agusan Colleges (AC) and Butuan Doctors’ College (BDC) have started training their respective teams, composed of students, for the race slated in August.

Fr. Chito Butardo, FSSU vice president, conceptualized the idea to raise people’s support to help prevent the degradation of Agusan River, considered “Caraga’s mightiest river.”

“We want to bring the people’s attention to our river basin. If people will come closer to the river, they will get to see how dirty it has become,” Butardo said.

“The fragile ecosystem of our river is fast declining from the wastes being dumped into it from the households and industries in the upper parts of the river,” he added.

Thucyoides C. Sadiasa, AC chairperson, said that their participation in the awareness effort is part of their social welfare service.

“For us, it is a big service to the community and to the rest of the city. With the activity, we will be able to put life back into the river, creating awareness not just among ourselves but also for others to step in to help save the river,” said Sadiasa.

Sadiasa pointed out that the activity is also a good way to build better lasting relationship with other schools in the city.

Dr. Candy Estacio, BDC assistant administrative officer, expressed hopes that their initial effort would encourage more people and teams to participate in the drive to preserve the Agusan River.

“We hope other schools here in Butuan and in the [whole] region would decide to take part in what we are doing. The promotion of awareness in saving the river and our environmental advocacy is not just for our school but for the rest of the city,” said Estacio.

Since Tuesday, students from the three schools have started undergoing a two-week training from experienced dragon boat racers from the Patroits, the dragon boat team of the Philippine National Police.

A fourth boat, which was recently delivered to the city government, will soon join the training.

All the boats were constructed in Talacongon, Agusan del Sur. (Erwin Mascarinas/MindaNews)

This will be the second time for the Butuan – Agusan del Norte Football Association (BANFA) to host the said event, which they started last summer of 2011.

“Aside from the teams coming from the Caraga Region, there will be teams from Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, Iligan, Bukidnon, Davao and Marawi. We want to make it a tradition to hold the Balanghai futbol festival every summer,” said Butuan City Vice Mayor Lawrence Fortun, who is also president of BANFA.

Fortun pointed out that the event primarily is for grassroots development since most of the categories are for players belonging to the age brackets 8 under, 10 under, 13 under and 15 under.

“There will also be 17 under, 23 under and 35 up and open to both men and women players. This is a way to promote the sport especially here in Caraga and Butuan and to give our players some exposure by competing with different teams in Mindanao,” the vice mayor said.

Last year, players from the Philippine Azkals team, namely, Kim Relucio and Jerry Barbaso, graced the tournament’s opening ceremony. (Erwin Mascarinas/MindaNews)

The brothers finished the race in 15 hours, 38 minutes and 33 seconds, ahead by at least 21 minutes from the second-placer.

Of 44 teams when the event kicked off on Saturday morning, 19 teams had finished the race as of 2:30 pm Sunday while 10 other teams quit  the race, said Tourism Officer Camilia Infiesto.

Thirty-year old Cresenciano told Mindanews it was their first time to reach the summit of Mt. Apo. He described the trek as grueling since it was raining when they reached the peak.

The brothers, both enlisted personnel at the Philippine Army,  prepared for only 15 days and it was even more on running because they had no mountains to climb in Metro Manila.

“Actually it was also our first time to race using bikes. We were the 18th  team to reach Barangay Sibulan,” said Cresenciano, dubbed as the “National Milo Marathon King.”

The Sabal brothers, who hail from Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat. The 30-year old Cresenciano is a corporal while 28-year old Gerald is a Private First Class.

The brothers were backed by Jhanalodin Lucman, a logistics crew. Each team has two racers and a logistics crew.

The Sabals represented their province in the Palarong Pambansa several times.

Team Bebang finished the race with a total clock time of 15:38:33 followed by Team Carmen composed of racers Jonathan Pido, Ronald Dagaang and logistics crew Edwin Bueno with a total time of 15:59:18.

The third placer is Team Apo Ville from Digos, Davao del Sur composed of racers Marcial Catanggui, Romeo Mascardo Jr., and logistics crew Hilario Ladra.

On Saturday, Pido and Dagaang  were the first to reach the boulders area with the Sabal brothers tailing them by 10 minutes.

Pido is a policeman while Dagaang works as a bank security guard.

Cresenciano recalled they were able to overtake Team Carmen on their way down at Checkpoint 14 in Sitio Tumpis in Barangay Kapatagan, already part of Digos City.

He said they arrived at the Ayala Staff house around 8 p.m.or 15 hours after the race started.

Since it was already two hours after the cut-off time, racers were no longer allowed to proceed to the water tubing event. Instead, the race resumed 5a.m. the following day.

The 27-year old Dagaang, also a triathlete, told MindaNews that  pebbles and sand got into his shoes. “Amo pa man gitanggal ang balas sa sulod kay sakit man sa akong tiil kung di tanggalon. Didto mi nila na-abtan” (we removed the pebbles and sand in my shoes because it was painful), he said.

Dagaang said they made a dry run of the trail a month before the race.

He said he also trained with Pido for a week, particularly on biking.

The race started at 6 a.m. on Saturday with a biking challenge from the town hall to Barangay Sibulan proper, some 18 kilometers away.

From the barangay hall, the racers started the grueling trek to the peak of Mt. Apo navigating through the rugged terrain, rivers, forest and the boulders.

Upon reaching the summit, racers headed back to Sibulan. Water tubing started from Ayala Staff house to the Sibulan bridge along the national highway, and from there run for 12 kilometers to the finish line in front of the town hall.

The race had 20 checkpoints.

Foreign athletes were tough competitors, too, said Cresnciano.

He said their opponents were strong athletes, particularly members of the Champion System Adventure from Hong Kong.

“Some foreigners are really strong but some of them may have been attracted to the scenic view of the mountain. Some were busy taking pictures,” he said.

Champion System Adventure racers Ryan Blair and Piers Touzel finished fifth place.

Touzel, an Australian national based in China, described the race as one of the toughest he has ever joined.

“The jungle trail was the toughest but coming down was the hardest. And we also lost our way but the locals helped us,” said the Australian who is known to be one of the top mountain bikers in Asia.

But he also admitted that he also enjoyed the view while being on top of the Mt. Apo.

The event’s website, www.boulderface.com,says the 24-hour endurance race covers around 70 to 80 kilometers. The event was organized by the Department of Tourism Xl and local government of Sta.Cruz.

The champion team gets P150,000 while the second and third placers get P100,000 and P75,000, respectively.

The top five finishers will also receive consolation prizes of P10,000 each.

The elder Sabal said they might  use the prize to buy their own mountain bike. “We may also use it to fund our trainings and other needs like our vitamins.”  (Keith Bacongco/MindaNews)

As of  2:30 pm Saturday, Jonathan Pido along with his partner in Team Carmen from Davao del Norte was the first pair reach the boulders area after around nine hours of grueling challenge.

Pido, a policeman by profession, won the 1^st International Boulder Face Challenge last year.

Tourism Officer Camilia Infiesto told MindaNews that the first team is expected to be back at Barangay Sibulan again before Saturday midnight or 2 a.m. Sunday.

Then they will continue to race at 5 a.m. Sunday with water tubing challenge from the Ayala Staff house to the Sibulan bridge, said Infiesto.

“When the racers arrive at the Ayala Staff House by 6 p.m. onwards, they will no longer be allowed to proceed to water tubing. The race will resume the following morning,” she explained.

From the bridge, the racers will run to the finish line at the municipal plaza, which will take about one hour, she added.

Of the 44 teams composed of two racers and a logistics crew each, 11 teams are foreigners from Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam and other parts of Asia Pacific.

They will be competing with the teams from Metro Manila, Cabanatuan City, Cebu City, Davao City, General Santos City, Digos City, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte and from this province.

Also, four corporate teams from R.O.X., San Miguel Corporation and Franklin Baker will join the race that entails four disciplines: mountain biking, trekking, water tubing and running.

The racers left the municipal plaza at 6 a.m. and negotiated the national highway on their bikes all the way to Barangay Sibulan proper. The first pack arrived at the barangay gymnasium at around 7:30 a.m. where the logistics crew was waiting to hand food and water that they would carry on their trek to the peak of Mt. Apo.

Racers can only acquire assistance from the logistics crew at the designated checkpoints at barangay hall of Sibulan (Checkpoint 2) and  at the Ayala Staff house (Checkpoint 15) but they are allowed to refill water from water sources, the rules read.

This means from Sibulan proper, they are on their own all the way to the peak of Mt. Apo and until they are back at the Checkpoint 15, where they will jump off for water tubing.

The racers are also allowed to purchase food and medicine along the way.

Councilor Oliver Enot, who was at Barangay Sibulan monitoring the event, told Mindanews that it would usually take at least two days to reach the peak even for experienced mountaineers.

Although there are foreign extreme athletes, Enot added that they should not underestimate the capability of local racers because they are really familiar with the terrain.

He said the foreigners did not conduct any dry run on the trail but all of the racers were provided with maps.

The event’s website, www.boulderface.com, says the 24-hour endurance race will cover around 70 to 80 kilometers. The event was organized by the Department of Tourism Xl and local government of Sta.Cruz.

The champion team will receive P150,000 while the second and third placers will pocket P100,000 and P75,000, respectively.

The top five finishers will also receive a consolation prize of P10,000 each (Keith Bacongco/ MindaNews)

The Asian Surfing Championship (ASC) circuit for women will be held in five countries – Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Women surfers from all over Asia will converge at Cloud 9 surf break in General Luna for the Philippine leg as they vie for the P300,000 (close to US$7,000) total prize-money.

“This is a historical landmark in the progression of Philippine surfing as it is the first time that ASC included Philippines in a multi-country, multi-event professional surfing competition circuit,” said Zeny Pallugna, secretary-general of the Philippine Surfing Federation (PSF), said in a statement.

Pallugna pointed out this international event is a very good indication that Siargao’s tourism is flourishing.

“The ASC works with local, national and multinational event sponsors and organizers to maximize the results of the competitive surfing events towards accomplishing the goals of sharing the sport of surfing and bringing positive economic, social and environmental benefits to the people in these Asian countries,” said Pallugna.

According to the ASC, their ultimate goal is to grow the sport of surfing in Asia from the grassroots level by assisting each country in creating organized and sanctioned events that will develop the skills of their surfers in healthy competition as well as to draw attention to their area for the progression of surfing locally, nationally, and throughout the Asian region.

The Surigao del Norte provincial government revealed that as the events counterpart, Gov. Sol Matugas has released a P200,000 financial assistance to General Luna Mayor Jaime Rusillon to help fund the event.

Ivonnie Beltran Dumadag, of the Provincial Tourism Office, said in a phone interview that all the necessary things needed for the event are already in place.

“We are all ready for the coming event, the transportation and accommodation facilities are all in place. We are now just finalizing the side events like beach volleyball and the nightly live musical entertainment,” said Dumadag. (Erwin Mascariñas / MindaNews)

A one-for-the-ages fight with archrival Floyd Mayweather should be the loud bang to end his career as demanded by boxing fans all over the world.

But alas, Floyd is not obliging and perhaps never will.

So Pacquiao will have to pick up fights, credible fights, to keep fan interests at high levels and the cash register ringing.

On June 9, he faces undefeated American light welterweight Timothy Bradley.

Coming from two lackluster fights in a row, Pacquiao needs to demolish Bradley in a manner only he is known for. He needs to register a quick victory.

Pacquiao has not recorded a knockout win in two and a half years although he came close to stopping Antonio Margarito. He was close to losing his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. His last four fights lasted the distance. Ironically, these victories came when he was deeply embroiled in Philippine politics. One wonders if his immediate past performances are directly related to his job as member of Philippine Congress.

Fans may be missing the old Manny Pacquiao who rams his opponents like a bullet train but it looks like he may be able to give them what he has been giving them since he broke into the consciousness of global sport fans. Short of it, people will begin to wonder if Pacquiao still has the desire or he is just piling up retirement money in preparation for his bigger political ambitions.

Notice how Pacquiao is no longer invoking dedication for country in his last two or three fights.

Yes, everybody now knows he is doing it for his honor and future because he had already served his country that privilege.

In short, it is his payback time.

Unless it is Floyd who can do him another defeat, Pacquiao cannot afford to pick opponents that have real shot at earning the distinction of handing him his third career loss.

Bradley, despite the hype-building by promoters, is not within Pacquiao’s league who is a sui generic, to borrow a famous Latin phrase from the ongoing trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. The embattled chief justice was once a house guest of Pacquiao when the latter inducted the current officers of the General Santos-South Cotabato chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in July last year.

That aside, Pacquiao really, really need to knockout Bradley and not give the latter a chance to even prove competition.

That will be a shot in the arm for Pacquiao who is said to be losing ground in the popularity department.

(Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com.)

Ritchie Garcia, Philippine Sports Commission chair, said this city and nearby Sarangani province will jointly host the 7th BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games.

“It is tentatively set in December,” he said in a statement.

As a prelude to the major event, athletes from the BIMP-EAGA will compete in the Marathon Friendship Run later this week in the area.

This event came on the heels of the launching of the country’s tourism slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines.”

Unveiled by the Department of Tourism, the slogan’s Website boosted that “Wherever you go in the Philippines, it’s the Filipinos that will make your holiday unforgettable.”

“Just ask anyone who’s been here. In fact, Lonely Planet guidebook calls us ‘among the most easygoing and ebullient people anywhere’,” it added.

According to the PSC, which is organizing the event, BIMP-EAGA countries will each have a team of six runners – four males and two females – for the 42-km marathon.

Thousands of local runners from General Santos and elsewhere in Mindanao are likewise expected to take part in the 3k, 5k and 10k fun runs that will be open to both men and women athletes.

“The Philippines is honored to host the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Run as we endeavor to strengthen our relations within the sub-region through sports development,” said Sec. Luwalhati Antonino, Mindanao Development Authority chair and EAGA Signing Minister.

She added that senior sports officials and heads of delegations from the four countries are coming to Mindanao, bringing with them their teams of runners and athletes for the friendly run along the stretch of GenSan to Alabel, Sarangani and back.

Garcia said the BIMP-EAGA Marathon Friendship Run this Thursday officially launches the 7th BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games of 2012.

Expected to welcome the delegates for the marathon fun run are Gen. Santos City Mayor Darlene R. Antonino-Custodio, Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene A. Dominguez and world boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao.

Aside from Sarangani and General Santos, Region 12 is also comprised of the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

The BIMP-EAGA is an economic cooperation formally created in 1994 covering the border areas of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines with the goal of spawning increased investments, trade and tourism within this sub-region of the ASEAN.

It specifically covers the island economies of Brunei; North, Central, South and Southeast Sulawesi, Central, East, West and South Kalimantan, Maluku and Irian Jaya in Indonesia; Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan in Malaysia; and Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

Pacquiao now wears the universally recognizable slash brand Nike, a testament to his certified crossover star status not only in the sports of boxing but also in the American mainstream media as well.

On Sunday, Pacquiao will try to put a closure and finish his trilogy with arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

Their rivalry has spanned well over seven years involving two close but controversial fights that could have gone either way.

Pacquiao holds the edge over Marquez with a narrow split decision win four years after their first fight ended in a debatable draw in 2004.

Both fighters see each other as thorn on their sides although Pacquiao can easily walk away and claim there is nothing left to prove in fighting Marquez for a third time.

But trilogies are supposed to happen that way.

One more fight that puts a decisive ending to a rivalry.

When they first fought, Marquez was physically the bigger man. The second time around, Pacquiao had to keep in check his weight as he was then already a full lightweight trying to snatch Marquez’s super featherweight title.

On Sunday, the roles will be reversed.

Pacquiao is both literally and figuratively the bigger man.

At the agreed weight of 144 pounds, Marquez has bulked up his muscle tones hoping that he can still be the feared counter puncher that he was who gave Pacquiao all the fits that the Filipino could handle.

But more than bulking up to be able to match and negate Pacquiao’s speed and power, Marquez’ corner knew that Sunday’s fight could end in a snap.

The inimitable Nacho Beristain has grudgingly admitted that Marquez will be facing a different Pacquiao this time around.

He and Marquez no longer see Pacquiao as a one-dimensional attacker who lived and die with his powerful left hand.

This time the watchful eyes of Beristain during Marquez’s training has never been so intense. Marquez has never before undergone a conditioning that approximates Pacquiao’s rigid regimen over the last four years since Alez Ariza arrived in Team Pacquiao’s camp.

Both Beristain and Marquez know this is their last chance at inflicting the greatest humiliation on Pacquiao.

But they also realize that, now more than ever, Pacquiao now has what it takes to finally knock the cold out of Marquez.

In fact, Beristain fears this and Marquez too.

This is the fight both will wish they had not taken.

(Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com.)

There is not much money fight left in him as he approaches his 38th birthday.

He has had two memorable and controversial fights with reigning pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, both when he was at the prime of his career.

While both fights were close enough that they can be called both ways, Marquez never showed the kind of dominance that fellow Mexican Erik Morales did against Pacquiao during the two’s first of three fights.

Like many Mexican boxers before him, Marquez failed to even knock down or put Pacquiao in real danger of losing. True, he had his moments. He gave Manny the biggest puzzle with his sweet counterpunching styles. But because their two fights went the distance, boxing fans had to accept the scorecards. After all, it is the reason why judges are there – to score the fight. Also, nobody really cried highway robbery when Manny won by split decision in their second fight. In contrast, Manny was a victim of a judge’s error when the latter failed to properly score the first round in the first Pacquiao-Marquez fight which would have meant another close majority decision for the Filipino world boxing sensation.

Marquez and Manny first fought in 2004 and again in 2008.

Since their first fight, the two have gone separate ways with Manny bouncing from his heartbreak loss to Morales to go 15-1 and in the process capturing five more titles in as many weight divisions.

Marquez, on the other hand, would lose three more times in 13 fights.

Career-wise, Manny is still in his peak and has morphed into a complete boxer that is remarkably different from the trigger happy lefty that Marquez encountered in the past.

Not only is Manny now bigger and more technically sound and proficient. He is at home at the agreed weight that he and Marquez will be fighting for the third time. And he has not lost a step. Nor the sting of his punches.

Manny was having trouble meeting the weight limit when he fought Marquez as a featherweight in 2004 and as a super featherweight in 2008.

Marquez, in the meantime, is having difficulties carrying added weight outside of his lightweight frame. He was a lot slower when he lost a unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. two years ago and has become even more hittable.

If he felt Manny’s punches when they were featherweights, there is no question he will feel the same, if not even more, when he gets tagged squarely the third time around. He may no longer be able to bounce back to his feet when Manny connects with his patented left straights and equally explosive right hooks, punches that were missing when they first fought.

To his credit, Marquez is a true-blue Aztec warrior. A third fight will probably give him a peace of mind and surely the gold mine.

Marquez will be receiving the biggest pay check of his career that is likely to end before Manny’s.

But he may be trespassing in a territory that rightfully belongs to Manny.

(Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com.)

Florentino Perez Sr., South Cotabato sports coordinator, said Thursday the local government has initially allocated some P200,000 for the implementation of the program, which will cover emerging athletes enrolled in elementary and high schools, as well as in colleges and universities within the province’s 10 towns and lone city.

The Sports-Aral Educational Assistance Program, he said, will mainly provide “modest” financial grants to selected student athletes.

“The financial assistance will be used for the payment of school fees and other related expenses of our beneficiaries,” he said in a media forum in Koronadal City.

Under the program, Perez said they will initially provide a one-time financial assistance of P500 for elementary, P1,000 for high school and P3,000 for college athletes.

He said the funds will be released directly by the local government to the schools, colleges and universities where the beneficiaries are enrolled.

Student athletes will need to submit a letter of intent to the office of Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. if they intend to avail of the program, which will begin by July, Perez said.

He said they would be required to complete a simple application process and a mandatory screening by program implementers.

“Our top priority are student athletes who are poor but are deserving and full of promise in terms of developing into top athletes in their chosen sports disciplines,” he said.

With the initial allocation of P200,000, Perez said they are targeting to initially enlist at least 30 to 40 scholars in all levels for this year.

But this early, he said they are already drawing up plans for the expansion of the program’s coverage as proposed by the governor.

The governor, who had vowed to enhance the development of grassroots sports initiatives in the province, has so far signified to allocate additional funds for the sports scholarship scheme and the upgrading of existing sports facilities in the province, Perez said.

He said the move is anchored on the local government’s earlier commitment to push for the development of more future sports heroes from the province such as basketball stars Kenneth Duremdes and Alvin Patrimonio, international dart champion Ian Perez, 2010 Southeast Asian Games boxing medalists Rey and Victorio Saludar III of Polomolok town as well as Olympians Annie Albania (boxing) of Banga town and Eduardo Buenavista (athletics) of Sto. Niño town.

Last month, some 300 young athletes availed of the local government’s 1st Sports-Aral summer program, a 10-day intensive sports development and skills training scheme. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)

ALABEL, Sarangani (MindaNews/8 May) – While Sunday’s boxing match was trending in Twitter and sports analyses and predictions went viral elsewhere in the Internet, folks in Manny Pacquiao’s hometown didn’t let any chore of the day hinder them from enjoying the sight of the legendary People’s Champ beat up Shane Mosley.

More than the thrill of knowing who wins, we experienced an exercise of our senses: from standing under the scorching heat, while our vehicle’s tire gave up, to loud cheers of the die-hard boxing fans.

We began our adventure by finding our way to the Sarangani Capitol. This seemingly easy task led us to discover an unusual but expected sight in the province: empty roads reminiscent of a ghost town. Unusual, because we rarely see empty roads in the Davao metropolis. Expected, because Pacquiao’s faithful followers stay inside the house or a place where they can see the match broadcasted from Las Vegas live.

While driving our way to the capitol’s gymnasium (to see how the locals watch and celebrate Pacman’s every punch), we listened to an AM radio’s live and graphic commentaries of the undercard matches prior to the main event. The radio anchors pulled off such hilarious quips when describing the events that took place inside the boxing ring. “Nang-hilam-os na og sumbag kining si Boxer1 gikan kay Boxer2.” (Boxer 1 is now washing his face with punches from Boxer 2.)

And they didn’t stop there. We had the pleasure of listening to these commentaries more when we had a flat tire. While waiting for the tire change, we listened some more. “Mamuti gyud siguro ang nawong ni Mosley ani unya basta sumbagon ni Pacquiao. Unsa diay ning mga kumo ni Pacquiao? Astringent?!” (Mosley’s face should turn pale white when he receives Pacquiao’s punches. What are Pacquiao’s fists? Astringent?)

When we finally reached the Sarangani Capitol gymnasium, we saw lots of motorcycles and tricycles parked nearby. This gave us a rough estimate of the people inside: A LOT!

We couldn’t hear yells or cheers just yet; the undercard boxers were still playing. Mosley and Pacquiao haven’t been punching each other’s faces yet. But it’s interesting to note that people started to flock the gym as early as 7 a.m.

The devoted fans, supporters, and boxing enthusiasts came from nearby barangays and towns; some even trekked all the way from Maitum, Glan and Kiamba.

There were kids and a bunch of adults standing outside the closed gymnasium. Some guy in his mid-30s busted out the gym’s entrance and complained just how hot it was inside; that it was cooler to stay and watch the boxing matches from the entrance.

We found out why: the gymnasium that can house over 5,000 people was almost full. The air inside was humid and was difficult to breathe in. We saw a lot of people trying to cool themselves off with paper fans and towels. There were a bunch of air conditioners but we felt like they didn’t work at all (perhaps it was only cool in some spots of the place). Purple curtains covered the windows to prevent the light from coming in, making the place even look and feel warm. Hot. Really hot.

There, the people came together and communed over a large LCD projection of the current match, broadcasted live from half across the globe. It wasn’t very bright, but it was enough to delight Pacquiao’s fans’ visual senses satisfactorily.

There were vendors who walked around selling water and quail eggs. But most stalls which sold milkshake and popcorn were outside the gymnasium.

One vendor claims that business is lucrative during these times; that people dig street food and picapica to watch Pacquiao smother his fists in another boxer’s face.

But the attendance of the vendors were lesser compared to the previous boxing match. This was because most of them were tired because of a recent town fiesta in the plaza.

These are just some of the sights and sound (and smells) on Sunday’s boxing match. These are raw, yet real; and a far cry from a tech geek’s audio-visual experience on a fancy LED monitor in an air-conditioned and scented room. (Jesse Pizarro Boga / MindaNews contributor)

City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said the city government will open anew to the public the 5,000-capacity city gymnasium on Sunday for the free live viewing of the highly-anticipated Pacquiao-Mosley fight, which would be aired straight from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The free live telecast will enable thousands of local boxing fans and avid followers of Pacquiao to get another “ringside view” of his title fight on Sunday. Aside from the city gymnasium, other village sports halls here will also air the fight live.

“This is our way of showing our all-out support for Manny. We’ll all be praying and cheering for him,” said Custodio, who is expected to lead anew the crowd in cheering for the boxing champion during the fight.

The city government had sponsored free live telecasts at the city gymnasium for previous major fights of Pacquiao, who grew up in Barangay Labangal here.

The eight-division world boxing champion, who is also representative of Sarangani province’s lone district, is fighting the American former four-division champion for the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) welterweight title.

Avel Manansala, executive assistant of the city mayor’s office, said the city government has released beginning Friday some 7,000 free tickets for the live viewing of the fight at the city gymnasium in Barangay Lagao here.

He said they tapped the city’s 26 barangay councils to facilitate the distribution of the free tickets, which local residents may avail of on a “first come, first served” basis.

Manansala said the tickets will guarantee reserved seats inside the gymnasium, which will open at 8am Sunday for the live telecast–starting from the undercards to the main event.

“We’ll set up television sets outside the gymnasium to accommodate those who failed to avail of the free tickets,” he said.

Aside from the city government, the barangay councils of Apopong and Labangal here will also be offering free the live telecasts of the fight at their barangay gymnasiums.

Pacquiao’s younger brother Rogelio and sister-in-law Lorelei are barangay chairs of Apopong and Labangal, respectively.

In Sarangani, officials of the province’s congressional district office said a free live telecast of the Pacquiao-Mosley fight will also be beamed at the provincial capitol gymnasium.

Pacquiao’s local political party People’s Champ Movement is also setting up free live viewing of the fight in the province’s seven municipalities.

In this city and nearby Koronadal City in South Cotabato, a number of restaurants, cinemas and even small eateries are also offering live telecasts of the fight via pay-per-view and cable television. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)

The city government of Dapitan has intensified its security and safety measures for the week-long competition which unfolds on May 8 to 14.

In his statement posted at the official website of Dapitan City, Supt. Neil B. Alinsangan, Dapitan City PNP officer-in-charge, said more than 350 officers, both uniformed and plainclothes policemen, will be deployed in various key establishments and areas around the city to ensure the peaceful and successful conduct of the country’s biggest sporting event for elementary and secondary student athletes.

He added that personnel from the Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Public Safety Company, Dipolog City police station and 25 municipal police stations in the province will be assigned to safeguard the billeting quarters and playing venues of the event.

“All security and safety measures shall be strictly implemented to prevent and eradicate acts of terrorism for the whole duration of the nationwide sports event,” Alinsangan said.

A few weeks ago the Palarong Pambansa 2011 executive committee chair, former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos, declared that Dapitan City is ready to host the multi-sports event and assured that security, road traffic mobility and other concerns have been properly planned.

“We are ready to receive them in Dapitan,” said Jalosjos, referring to the more than 11,000 student athletes, coaches and officials from the country’s 17 regions.

Recently, Palarong Pambansa venue coordinator Eugenio Penales reported the completion of the grandstand, the swimming pool and renovations in the 10-hectare Jose Rizal Memorial State University athletic complex, main venue of the games.

In a press statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that it is all set for the 2011 Palarong Pambansa.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro emphasized that the Palaro will be run based on Filipino core values such as honesty and fair play.

Luistro hopes that despite the big number of people attending the national sports event, garbage problem could be minimized.

He likewise expects that there will be either none or limited use of plastic and styrofoam, urging students to bring their own utensils and reusable plastic containers for food.

“All participants are urged to adhere to the clean, green and eco-friendly measures that DepEd intends to implement during the conduct of the 2011 Palarong Pambansa to ensure the protection of public health and environment,” he said.

As part of its preparation for the Palaro, the Dapitan City council enacted a comprehensive solid waste management ordinance last February.

Based on the newly implemented ordinance, throwing or depositing of litter in public places in Dapitan is strictly prohibited. It adopts the ecological solid waste management program of the city, pursuant to Republic Act 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), and includes the corresponding fines and penalties for individuals found to be violating the ordinance.

Vice President Jejomar Binay will grace the opening ceremonies of this year’s Palaro while President Benigno Aquino III will attend the closing rites on May 14.

Around 15 sports disciplines will be contested in the week-long competition that include medal-rich swimming and track and field. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

The LBC Ronda Pilipinas will hold a Mindanao elimination on May 15 in Malaybalay City with top cyclists from across the island expected to take part in the race.

Jun Paholio, Philcycling vice president for Mindanao, said all cyclists shall secure license before the elimination day.

“They can go to Philcycling website or visit the Philcycling office located at the ground floor of Jaltan Building II, Magallanes St. in Davao City,” he said.

The qualifying race is for all the cyclists from various provinces in Mindanao, according to Ronda Pilipinas organizers.

The 150-kilometer massed start race will pass the scenic views of the municipalities of Impasug-ong and Manolo Fortich.

The top six riders will qualify and represent Mindanao in the national finals slated late September wherein 12 teams (six cyclists per team) are made up of professional men’s teams or elite cycling clubs.

The national finals will feature a 20 -day route of 11 stages at about 140 kms per stage for an estimated total distance of 1,650 kms.

Cash prizes amounting to P7 million are up for grabs in the race courtesy of the courier company. Both the individual champion and the team champion would bag P1 million.

LBC chief executive officer Santi Araneta said that the company has chosen to get involved with cycling because it is in line with the new trend in their industry to use bikes in delivering packages, parcels and documents.

“This is not a one-time deal. We have envisioned a long-term program for cycling and for LBC,” said Araneta.

“Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in the Philippine and we want to give our athletes a venue to train and develop in the sports in preparation for international competition,” according to Javier Montecom, LBC senior vice president for marketing.

“This is the perfect opportunity for us to promote LBC’s Go Green advocacy in order to raise awareness of and action towards environmental preservation,” he added. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews).

The  Dipolog squad crushed the North Cotabato booters at 7 to nothing  during the final round of the  first game of the Mindanao finals at Tionko Football here on Saturday.

Sparke Espanola scored the opening goal on the 37^th minute and another goal just three minutes later by Jerry Barbaso, a former Azkals splayer.

Then just two minutes before the first half ended, Michael Tulang scored for Dipolog making it three to nothing.

In the early minutes of the second half, North Cotabato squad played aggressively but was outplayed by the more robust Dipolog squad after Michael Chua scored the 4^th goal at the 72^nd minute.

Just two minutes later, Tulang made his second goal.

The Ilonggo squad made a goal attempts after a corner kick but it was easily driven away by the Dipolog booters.

North Cotabato replaced four players in the hope it could defend and score but Chua made his second goal in the 76^th minute.

But Clifford Daypuyat beat the defense of perturbed North Cotabato squad and scored the 7^th goal for Dipolog on the 85^th minute.

Meanwhile, at the second game,  John Pelingon scored the opening goal for Cagayan de Oro squad just six minutes after the whistle.

On the 39^th minute, Davao’s Juven Benitez scored for the equalizer but scored another goal two minutes later for the lead.

But as the game was about to wrap up, Cagayan de Oro booters stuns Davao squad with an 86^th-minute goal by Kirby Relova.

Even with the draw, Davao squad is still ahead of the standings with six points followed by Dipolog while North Cotabato and Cagayan de Oro are tied at one point each.

In a pre-game interview, Davao coach Ramonito “Lalas” Carreon told MindaNews that he told the players not to force themselves to score since they are already ahead of the standings.

At the quarterfinals, the teams will be divided into two brackets and the games will be held in Laguna and Bacolod on May 6 to 10. Teams from Laguna and Masbate will represent Luzon while Iloilo and Bacolod will represent Visayas.

The top two teams will slug it out in the semifinals on May 15 and 16 at Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, the football capital of the Philippines.(Keith Bacongco / MindaNews)

The Davao booters scored two goals in the first half of the game and another goal in the closing minutes of the second half.

Jomar Acedo made the opening goal for the squad on the 18th minute while Joven Benitez made a quick goal just two minutes later.

Joey Arobo made a final goal on the 44th minute of the game.

On the second game, the teams of the North Cotabato Football Association (NOCOFA) and Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental Football Association (CMOFA) ended in a draw after 90 minutes of play.

Eric John Araujo’s header scored on the 58th minute for the Ilonggo squad from M’lang town in North Cotabato.

But Cagayan-Misamis Oriental’s Emilliano Mabalos scored on the 73^rd minute. Mabalos’s first attempt bounced from the M’lang goalkeeper’s hand but he was able to hit the ball again for the equalizer.

M’lang squad had a chance to break the tie after a free kick but CMOFA’s goalkeeper saved the ball.

The NOCOFA played aggressively in the first half of the game, making several goal attacks. But on the second half, CMOFA played aggressively and was able to make two goal attempts.

Meanwhile, games on Friday, April 29, will be Dipolog against CMOFA at 8:30 a.m. while the host Davao squad will play against M’lang booters at 2:30 p.m.

And on Saturday, M’lang booters will face Dipolog squad at 1:30 p.m. while Davao will play against CMOFA at 3:30 p.m.

The team that will win the most number of games will represent Mindanao in the national finals with the winners from Luzon and Visayas. In case of tie, the team that scores the most goals will be declared winner. (Keith Bacongco / MindaNews)

Officials said the Summer Fest on April 29 to May 29 will kick off efforts toward such goal.

“We need not be limited to sports facilities. Instead, we should maximize our natural endowments to host sports activities,” City Tourism Officer Jayson Magnaye, said in a press conference yesterday.

Magnaye said that with Mayor Sara Z. Duterte already acknowledging the need for a quality sports complex, his office has started talks with the private sector and sports association to put up the said infrastructure.

“By doing so, the city won’t have to spend considering that we have minimal resources,” he added.

The upcoming Summer Fest is an addition to major attractions particularly the Araw ng Dabaw and Kadayawan Festival in a bid to make the tourism industry as the city’s leading income generator.

Some P50 million is eyed to promote the events. “We have to work in phases to achieve the whole cost that we need since we don’t have that particular amount just yet,” explained Al Ryan Alejandre , chair of the city council committee on tourism.

In an interview, Gary Cadungog, president of Davao Association of Tour Operators, said that the Summer Fest is also an eye-opener for the local government to look into the income-generating initiatives of private entities that are also players in the tourism industry.

“In this way, our city will be able to put up the infrastructure that we need to boost tourism,” he said.

Hotels, restaurants, malls, and other commercial establishments are coming up with promotions for the events.

Magnaye said the mayor has told his office to come up with a master plan that will define the direction of the local tourism industry. (Joan Mae Soco-Bantayan/MindaNews)

Central Visayas banked on its powerhouse swimming team, which bagged 21 gold medals, to emerge as the champion with a 70-53-67 gold-silver-bronze harvest.

Apart from being outclassed by the CV swimmers, Davao Region absorbed losses in the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball championships in the final day and ended the competition with a 66-59-42 medal tally.

Last year’s champion National Capital Region did not send a delegation.

Western Visayas (Region 6), second runnerup last year, and which reportedly competed without athletes from Negros Occidental, placed third with a 58-59-79 medal performance followed by Calabarzon (58-43-47) and Bicol Region (13-12-23).

Calabarzon played the spoiler’s role by eking out a hard-fought victory in men’s basketball and women’s volleyball frustrating the Davao Region’s bid to dominate the games.

“We could have overtaken the (gold) medal count of Region VII in the final day if we won the gold medal match in men’s basketball and women’s volleyball,” Joaquin Sarabia, Davao Region assistant executive director, told MindaNews in a phone interview.

The national PRISAA games follows a team medal count based on the number of players on the playing field or court during a game.

Calabarzon cagers beat Davao, 82-75, in the men’s basketball gold medal match while its female spikers prevailed 22-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-16, over Davao also.

Davao’s track stars helped vastly in the region’s gold production by topping several events in the medal-rich sport discipline.

Not to be outdone in the team competition, Davao won the gold in women’s basketball, men’s and women’s beach volleyball and sepak takraw.

But it just failed to win the pivotal team events on the final day, according to Sarabia.

“The athletes performed very well. We are happy with the outcome of our performance,” he said.

In a statement, PRISAA national chairman Dr. Emmanuel Angeles thanked Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat and the athletes and officials who took part in the six-day sports event.

“Once again, on behalf of the PRISAA national board, we would like to thank Mayor Lobregat and the city of Zamboanga for being gracious and hospitable hosts once again of the Games for the past six days,” Angeles said.

Zamboanga City has hosted the games four times already, including its revival in 1991. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

At least 200 runners have already signed up for the event organized by the Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School and Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku (Mindanao International College).

Organizing committee chair Ines Mallari, PNJKIS administrator, said the event would be a great opportunity for Davaoenos, who are recipients of assistance from Japan over the years, to express their support to the Japanese people at this time.

“No matter how small we can raise from the run, it’s the intent of showing our support to the Japanese that really matters,” Mallari said in the weekly Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum.

The run will start from the Rizal Park and end at the PNJKIS in Lanang. It has a registration fee of P250 inclusive of race shirt, race bib, finisher’s certificate and a light snack.

Proceeds of the run, according to Mallari, will go to the Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund of the Nippon Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic organization formed in 1962.

The Fund aims to provide both immediate and middle- to long-term support to ensure full recovery of the disaster-stricken areas.

“We have decided to channel the proceeds to Nippon Foundation as it has experience working with local partners to provide support after disasters,” said Mallari referring to the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, the Mid Niigata Earthquake of 2004 and the Noto Peninsula Earthquake of 2007.

The fundraising activity is the second effort of the PNJK and the MKD to show support and sympathy to the people of Japan where more than 27,000 have been killed or gone missing after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Last month, the students, faculty and administrators offered prayers and flowers for the Japan earthquake and tsunami victims.

Mallari said most Japanese establishments and agencies in this city will send participants to the event that expects to draw 500 to 1,000 runners.

A few days after the killer earthquake and tsunami, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte offered to send a team of Central 911 personnel, at the city’s expense, to help in the search and rescue efforts in Japan.

Duterte said the offer is the city’s expression of solidarity and gratitude for all the assistance that the Japanese government has extended to Davao through the years.

Two months ago, the Datu Uchida Development Foundation Inc. (DUDF) threw its all-out support again to the development of baseball at the grassroots level here.

For the past six years, DUDF with the support of Japanese companies and Rotary Clubs conducted the Davao Baseball Cup, a school-based tournament for this city’s elementary and secondary students, and donated baseball equipment to public schools.

DUDF sports director Yusuke Uchida said that it was his grandfather Tatsuo Uchida, a recipient of the Datu Bago Award in 2002, who thought of reviving the interest of Dabawenyos in baseball since it is not as popular as basketball. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews).

Davao City’s Zonta Elementary School, Maco National High School in Compostela Valley, Patin-ay Elementary School in Agusan del Sur and Del Monte School in Bukidnon were the recipient of a Toshiba Power TV monitor courtesy of the AFC and Toshiba “Enjoy Football with Power TV” campaign.

Erwin Protacio, Davao Football Association (DFA) secretary-general, said these schools are among the 15 recipients of the AFC and Toshiba program all over the country.

“From among the 33 member associations of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), 18 sent their nominees,” he said.

Toshiba’s Power TV series features an “Auto Signal Booster” that improves signal sensitivity and enables viewing in areas with weak signal strengths. It also enhances the viewing experience with 20-watt high powered audio speakers.

The company donated 102 sets of Power TV – double the number of goals scored in 18 matches in the recent AFF Suzuki Cup held late last year – are being presented to schools in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam through their respective national football associations.

The Philippines was allotted 15 sets of Power TV for this program, according to Protacio.

The other recipients are Barotac Nuevo Central School (Iloilo), Buhi Central School (Naga City, Camarines Sur), West City Elementary School (Negros Oriental), Banilad Elementary School (Cebu), San Jose National Elementary School (Leyte), Jose Zurbito Elementary School (Masbate), San Jose Elementary School (Rizal), Jose J. Leido Memorial High School (Oriental Mindoro), Moreno Integrated School (Camarines Norte), Bago City Elementary School (Negros Occidental), and San Rafael (Tarlac).

Recently in Malaysia, AFC and Toshiba launched “Enjoy Football with Power TV,” a corporate social responsibility campaign especially created to benefit the region’s young football fans.

The campaign is part of efforts to promote Asian football by providing students throughout the region the opportunity to watch their football stars in action and to learn from them.

Yoshihiro Okura, Toshiba Corporation’s director/general manager of Strategic Planning Division for Asia, said they believe that students can benefit from the “Enjoy Football with Power TV” campaign.

“The availability of televisions in schools will give students the opportunity to learn football skills and tactics, and to be exposed to other educational programs which will contribute towards their academic achievements,” he said.

AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam always emphasized the importance of social responsibility and the AFC has partnered with many NGOs to pursue this social cause. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

Former Regional Trial Court Judge Jaime Quitain, Davao Sports Hall of Fame (DSHF) president, inducted World Boxing Council (WBC) International super-bantamweight champion Balweg Bangoyan, World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental super-bantamweight champion Jesus Albaracin and WBO Oriental flyweight titlist Ardin Diale to the boxing Hall of Fame before hundreds of spectators at the Barangay Bankerohan covered court.

The DSHF also gave an outstanding achievement award to professional boxers Siony Carupo, 1981 Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation junior flyweight champion, and Rolando Aldemir, 1983 OPBF lightweight champion; and amateur Brix “Bomb” Ray, 1999 Arafura Games gold medalist.

“Our congratulations to all of you, our boxing heroes. Davaoeños are proud of you,” Quitain told the boxers.

Professional light-flyweight contender Philip Parcon and the multi-titled amateur campaigner Moralde brothers, John Vincent and Engelbert, received awards of recognition, the least award given in the event backed by Powerade, Davao City Council, City Government of Davao, City Government of Panabo, among others.

Other recipients in the professional category include Jonathan Mercado, Raul Terado, Jerry Quinonez, Leo Ramirez, Boy Ligas, Diego de Villa, Julius Gonzaga, Rio Sumampong, Allan Alegria and Nene Jun.

In the amateur class, award recipients were Rene Anasco, Jun Ogayre, Christopher Requero and Kim Robert Galon.

“I’m very thankful to the DSHF for giving us an award like this. This is a simple way of recognizing our hard work in the sport,“ Bangoyan, 24, who is from Jose Abad Santos, told MindaNews.

Quitain said the DSHF hopes these awards will serve as an inspiration to the people of Davao City in general to support professional and amateur boxing.

Last December, DSHF feted the region’s basketball greats with former Olympian Loreto Carbonell, who led an elite cast of cage heroes.

Carbonell, 77, was recognized in the premier category for representing the country at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the 1958 FIBA World Championships and the 1960 Asian Basketball Confederation Championships.

Other awardee were the late Davao Oriental Gov. Francisco Rabat, who played in the Philippine squad that took third place at the 1954 FIBA World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, and the late Fr. Edgar Martin, who was the Ateneo de Davao varsity basketball coach and athletic director in 1960-67.

The awarding rites were held at the Grand Men Seng Hotel.

Quitain said in the future, the DSHF will open its doors to heroes from boxing, golf, aquatics, athletics, billiards and other sports. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

Aside from the NCR, the delegation from Western Visayas, last year’s second runner-up, will see action without the athletes from Negros Occidental.

Dr. Robert Milton Calo, PRISAA National Executive Director, said during the opening program that the NCR failed to organize a delegation for this year’s event while the athletes from the Negros Occidental skipped the event to dramatize its protest to the lack of reforms in the national PRISAA leadership.
With the NCR out of the competition, Elbert Atilano, PRISAA 2011 Project Director said this year’s PRISAA competition with be a “close fight” between Southern Mindanao, Central Visayas, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas.

Atilano said only about 3,000 athletes instead of 4,593 athletes from all over the country will see action in this year’s PRISAA because of the absence of NCR and Negros Occidental athletes.

This year’s PRISAA will have a total of 18 athletic events including six new events: boxing, judo, softball women, dance sports, karate-do, and beach volleyball.

The athletic competition will end on April 14.
Athletes will be treated to a city tour and a visit to Sta. Cruz Island  before going home to their respective regions.

The PRISAA 2011 started with a grand parade by the 17 participating athletic delegations from Pettit Barracks to the Joaquin F. Enriquez, Jr. Memorial Sports Complex.

The annual competition starts Sunday.  (MindaNews)

Joaquin “Boy” Sarabia, PRISAA Davao Region assistant executive director, said that only some schools in Western and Central Visayas are boycotting the games, but not their respective regions.

Sarabia, sports coordinator of the University of Mindanao, said that “as far he knows,” only the University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod City and Silliman University in Dumaguete City are joining the boycott.

Other big schools in the area, he said, have not joined the two universities.

A manifesto, which reportedly originated in Region 6 (Western Visayas), has been circulating nationwide, calling for reforms in the PRISAA leadership and boycott of the Zamboanga games.

Sarabia said the people behind the manifesto wants reorganization in the PRISAA leadership under its chair, Manny Angeles of Angeles University, because they claimed that there are no financial transparency in the association.

“But that is not true,” said Sarabia, pointing out that the Davao Region has no problem with the current PRISAA leadership.

He said the Davao Region is sending its best athletes in the games that feature 15 sports disciplines with the possibility of adding one or two more sports for this year’s edition.

The regular events in the games include baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, sepak takraw, softball, volleyball, athletics, badminton, chess, dance sport, karatedo, tennis, swimming, table tennis, and taekwondo

The city government of Zamboanga hosted the games four times already, including its revival in 1991. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

The Davao City-based oil company is now awaiting approval of the PBA board, according to Dennis Uy, PPPI president and chief executive officer.

“It’s now up to the PBA Board. I don’t want to speculate. We just have to wait,” Uy told sports journalists here.

Willie Marcial, PBA media bureau chief, said the PBA board will convene on March 15 to discuss, among others, Phoenix’s application. He added that he sees no problem along the way.

Entering the PBA is no joke as it requires the company’s financial capabilities to be able to field and manage a team. Players and coaches in the league are known for their huge salaries.

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud, after the Phoenix-PBA On Tour game between Talk ‘N Text and Air21 won by the Tropang Texters at the Holy Cross of Davao Colleges (HCDC) Gym Saturday night here, said Phoenix possesses all the requirements needed to be admitted into the PBA.

If Phoenix will be accepted, it will become the first firm from Mindanao and second petroleum company to join the PBA. Pilipinas Shell, which purchased the franchise of the legendary Crispa Redmanizers in 1985, was the first. Shell competed in the pro league for 20 years.

Phoenix Petroleum is a staunch backer of the PBA, having supported the league’s road games for several years now.

Phoenix was incorporated in May 2002 in Davao City as a family business under the name Davao Oil Terminal Services Corporation (DOTSCO). It began operations in its current form in January 2004, distributing petroleum products to various commercial entities in Mindanao. In August 2006, the company was officially renamed Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.

Today, Phoenix Petroleum is engaged in the business of trading refined petroleum products and lubricants, operation of oil depots and storage facilities, and allied services. Its products and services are distributed and marketed under the “Phoenix Fuels Life” trademark. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews).

To many who are not familiar with the demographics of the province, building a local government-run hospital may sound a piece of cake for Pacquiao whose political clout exponentially rose when he won in the congressional race against the Chiongbians.

During the height of his training against Antonio Margarito last year, Pacquiao skipped a day of his schedule to meet Philippine President Benigno Aquino III purportedly to discuss the budget for the hospital.  Apart from saying that the budget for 2010 was already exhausted to accommodate his request for allocation, there were no significant announcements from the camp of Pacquiao as to the status of his promise.

In several weeks’ time, he will again jump into serious training for this May 7 fight against Shane Mosley.  So it is safe to say that no major announcements will be made on the said priority project of Rep. Pacquiao.

However, the lull in performing his congressional duties should give his congressional staff time to advise Rep. Pacquiao of his priorities.

Sarangani is one of the few provinces, if not the only one, with an area that is not contiguous.  Its seven towns are separated in the middle by General Santos City.  Of the seven, six are coastal towns – three towns each in the eastern and western sides of the city.  Residents from the landlocked town of Malungon cannot reach the capitol of Alabel without passing General Santos City.

Sarangani is also one of the poorer provinces in the Philippines with an annual budget of slightly over P400 million of which more than 45 per cent goes to personnel services or salaries and wages of its workers.

Since health services have been devolved to local government units, the costs of running and operating a provincial hospital are now in the hands of the provincial government.

Now, if Rep. Pacquiao sticks to his promise of building a hospital, it should at least be at par with the bigger hospitals in General Santos City in terms of beds, facilities and medical staffing.
Constructing a modest 100-room hospital complete with basic facilities could easily reach a turnkey cost of at least P250 million.

The annual cost of operating it could then run up to P80 million, as in the case of the 100-bed General Santos City District Hospital.  The annual operating cost of the 200-bed privately-owned General Santos Doctors Hospital runs up to P150 million, excluding the professional fees of their medical staff.

While P250 million could be sourced from and appropriated by Congress, its maintenance, operating and other expenses (MOOE) and cost of personnel services will have to be provided by the local government unit.  This is where the problem may arise.

Assuring the continued operation of a hospital without straining the capacity of the Sarangani province government to deliver other basic services and infrastructure projects however will be a next to impossible task given the fiscal health of the local government unit.

Government-run hospitals, as in the case of the Philippines, are hardly sources of revenue for local government enterprises.  Luring health professionals to work for local government units at presently mandated government rates will likewise be a tall order.

While a provincial hospital will certainly score political points and eventually be best for residents of Sarangani in the long run, this may not be the appropriate time for its construction given the circumstances.

The last thing the province needs is a white elephant, an edifice that may be pleasant to see but a thorn on the fiscal side of local governance.

It would do well for the lone congressman from Sarangani to help upgrade facilities of existing hospitals in Kiamba and Glan, in the meantime, and encourage local government units to improve their preventive health care programs while the provincial government builds up its fiscal capacity. (Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com)

Hundreds of top class bowlers nationwide are expected to converge in Tagum City, which is currently hosting the 3rd International Rondalla Festival.

Mayor Rey Uy has pledged to provide P300,000 financial assistance in the staging of the tournament, according to Emie Orteza, FEDBOP Region XI chief.

“Aside from Mayor Uy, Davao del Norte Gov. Rodulfo del Rosario and the congressmen are supporting the FEDBOP national championships,” Orteza told sports media in the weekly sports forum here.

He said the FEDBOP leadership is very grateful to the support extended by the local chief executive in Tagum City and the province of Davao del Norte.

Over P600,000 cash prizes are up for grabs in the tournament, which will be played at the Gold City Commercial Complex in downtown Tagum City, some 55 kilometers north of Davao City.

Teams from Metro Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Koronadal are expected to come to Tagum City, which hosted the games in 2008.

Orteza said the tournament will feature team competition, master bowler and youth division both in men’s and women’s categories.

Host Zamboanga City clinched the men’s title while Davao City won the women’s crown last year.

“They are out to defend their title this year in Tagum City,” said Orteza.

Last year, a total of 92 teams joined the national tournament composed of 62 men’s teams and 30 ladies’ teams. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

In an interview, PSC Commissioner Chito Loyzaga said the new sports agency leadership under Chairman Richie Garcia, thus far, has not discussed the revival of the MFG.

“We have not discussed the revival of MFG in our board meetings,” said Loyzaga who was in this city last week for a Sports Management Seminar.

“I want to be honest with you,” the former professional basketball player-turned-PSC Commissioner told reporters.

The MFG was launched in Tubod, Lanao del Norte in 2001, a year after the “all-out war” against
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) erupted in the municipality of Kauswagan in the same province. The war eventually spread in some other parts of the island with MILF presence.

It had sent a strong message of peace in the region in 2001, 2002 and 2003 but was scrapped in the calendar of the PSC in 2004 reportedly due to funding shortage.

After half a decade of dormancy, talks to bring the MFG to life came out following the announcement made by the sports agency in 2008 and a non-government organization in 2009

But the pronouncement frustrated Mindanawon sport enthusiasts and peace advocates.

The focus of the PSC “this time” is the welfare of the national athletes, according to Loyzaga who pointed out that cost0cutting measures are being implemented in the agency to save money for our athletes.

“We have limited funds and the substantial budget of the PSC goes to the athletes and international events like the Southeast Asian Games, “he said.

Loyazaga said “we understand” your desire to stage back the MFG, which was last held in Mati, Davao Oriental in 2003.

“Maybe, in the future,” said Loyzaga who went to Digos City to inspect the newly-built Davao del Sur Sports Complex upon the invitation of Gov. Douglas Cagas.

Former Davaoeno PSC Chairman William Ramirez has said the “MFG can put us together in one place and play despite our differences in religion, culture and status,”.

“In MFG, no one bothers to ask your religion or status. We just play and develop camaraderie and friendship through sports,” said Ramirez, who organized the MFG.

According to the MFG charter distributed during the Mindanao Sports Summit three years ago in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, the fundamental principles of the games are developing champions for talent identification to the national pool, sporting brotherhood for Christians, Muslims and Lumads and sharing culture.

“The MFG not only offers competition and development but endeavors to give similar benefit to a Mindanaoan by adopting a culture from one place, integrating positive values of one cultural characteristic,” it said. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

Abellanosa said Erwin “Pastor” Emata, the second Filipino to scale Everest on May 18, 2006, (Dayondon was one of two females in the First

Philippine Mount Everest Expedition with Emata) will also fly in to help organizers in the technical side of the race. Abellanosa told MindaNews earlier that they are looking at a maximum of 300 participants for the race.

In response to the declaration of the Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park as an ASEAN Heritage Site, local trail run enthusiasts will hold the 1st Kitanglad International Rugged Mountain Race, an event they hope would launch Bukidnon as an international sports tourism destination.

The 17-kilometer race will take place from the foot of Mt. Kitanglad in Base Camp, Intavas, Impasug-ong town to its summit (2,899 meters above sea level) and back.

The race, he said, intends to promote Mt. Kitanglad Range and help raise funds for the Kitanglad Guard Volunteers and the indigenous peoples around the park.

In 2009, the ASEAN Biodiversity Center declared Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park as an ASEAN Heritage Park, integrating it into the regional grouping’s priorities for biodiversity conservation.

The race aims to improve the skills of local trail and mountain runners and make them at par with international standards.

Abellanosa said Bukidnon has all the ingredients to be a tourist destination for emerging sports favorites like paragliding, trail running, biking, horseback riding and vertical running.

He said they got the inspiration from Sabah’s Kota Kinabalu sports tourism attractions, which has drawn enthusiasts to Malaysia’s famous mountain.

He said Bukidnon could learn from the experience of Sabah in sports tourism.

“We are somehow looking at building Big Brother relations with the stakeholders there, learn from them, and see what we can bring in,” he added.

As an ASEAN Heritage Park, he said, Mt. Kitanglad is the perfect local counterpart, which is expected to help boost the province’s tourism industry and economy.

“Our mountains play a great role as Mindanao’s watershed and headwater of four major river systems,” he added.

According to its website, the race is a combined effort of sports enthusiast Benjamin Maputi, Abellanosa’s Ohana Adventures Destination Management Group, the Protected Area Management Board, the province of Bukidnon, and the municipalities of Impagug-ong, Manolo Fortich, Sumilao, Lantapan, Libona and Malaybalay City. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)

Saway said the film “Sakay sa Hangin” (Windblown), directed by Regiben O. Romana, features the music and the culture of the Bukidnon-Talaandigs and shows the “beauty of Bukidnon.”

“It will be the film that will put Bukidnon on the international map,” he said.

Saway said that in the film, they want to tell the showbiz world that there are good stories to tell and that films could not just be about showbiz personalities but also about real people.

Dubbed in the Binukid language with Filipino subtitles, the two-hour film used no script and puts the Bukidnon scenery and culture “at the pedestal,” he said. Saway added that the National Commission on Culture and the Arts-funded film compares life in the upland village and the city.

He said the film documented how a man brought his music from his village to the city. Shot on location in Songco in Lantapan town in Bukidnon and in Manila since 2008, Saway said they intend to submit the film for screening in Philippine and international film festivals.

Saway said they are preparing subtitles in Korean, Japanese, English and other languages in preparation for international screening.

The first few minutes of the film is a feature on Youtube, he said, where the director used the tag “music is what sets you free”.

Saway said it is a dream come true that it will be launched in his home province as it was previously scheduled to be screened in a Cultural Center of the Philippines exhibition of indie films.

He admitted that the film documents himself as a musician and the life, history, and culture of his people in upland Songco. But he said its main them is human life’s connection to nature.

“Sakay sa Hangin” also features Waway’s elder brother Datu Migketay Victorino Saway as “Agyu,” epic hero of the Bukidnon tribes. (Walter I. Balane / MindaNews)

Zamboanga City will host the 2011 Private School Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Collegiate Games, the premier private school competition for tertiary athletes, on April 10 to 16, marking the fourth time for the games to be held in the City of Flowers.

The National PRISAA board of trustees unanimously approved the change in venue from Metro Manila to Zamboanga City and schedule during its recent board meeting in Quezon City, according to Joaquin Sarabia, Davao Region PRISAA assistant executive director.

“Problem on billeting prompted the board to change the venue and date and Mayor Celso Lobregat offered to host the games in Zamboanga City,” Sarabia told reporters.

He said Manila was having a hard time looking for schools that will house the delegates from all regions because the games was originally scheduled Feb. 20 to 26 and by that time there will still be classes.

Lobregat thanked the PRISAA board and assured he is willing to assist in hosting the games together with the Department of Education (DepEd), private schools and line agencies.

Some 400 member colleges and universities from the country’s 17 regions will see action in the games to be held at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex. Around 5,000 athletes and officials coming are expected to come.

In a press statement, PRISAA Regional 9 Executive Director Elbert Atilano said Zamboanga City’s hosting of the National Games this year will be much bigger than the one it hosted in 2008.

After the Zamboanga Games, thousands of delegates will meet in historic Dapitan City on May 8 to 14 for the 2011 Palarong Pambansa.

It will be the first time for Dapitan to host the country’s biggest national competition for elementary and secondary student athletes and the city government is leaving no stone unturned to make the Shrine City’s hosting one of the best.

Last year, top DepEd executives unanimously picked Dapitan as the venue of the annual sports extravaganza for school year 2010-2011 after beating Misamis Oriental, the other Mindanao bidder.

Fifteen of the 17 DepEd regional chiefs voted for Dapitan. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

The provincial government here through the Provincial Indigenous Communities Affairs Division (PICAD) in coordination with Bukidnon’s seven hill tribes, is holding the “Tribal Olympics of the Seven Hill Tribes,” PICAD chief Russel Aquino told MindaNews.

He said the event will be the province’s preparation for the Philippines’ own Tribal Olympics and the International Tribal Olympics. The 1st ASEAN Tribal Olympics was held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia last year.

Expected to be among the favorite events in Bukidnon’s Tribal Olympics is archery, Aquino said.

The Bukidnon provincial government has vowed to stick as close as possible to the Bukidnon culture in its celebration of the Kaamulan Festival.

Before the Olympics, tribal leaders and elders from the seven tribes are scheduled to hold the Seven Ethnic Tribes Convention on February 22 to 24.

He said among the major items in the agenda is the institutionalization of the seven hill tribes’ justice system.

The Kaamulan Festival opens on Feb. 18 and will close on March 10, the anniversary of the founding of the province. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)

The 17-kilometer race will take place on February 27, from the foot of Mt. Kitanglad in Base Camp, Intavas, Impasug-ong town to its summit (2,899 meters above sea level) and back.

Rachito Abellanosa, one of the lead organizers told MindaNews Saturday 80 runners, including four Kenyans have so far registered. A maximum of 300 participants will be admitted to the race.

He said the race intends to promote Mt. Kitanglad Range and help raise funds for the Kitanglad Guard Volunteers and the indigenous peoples around the park.

In 2009, the ASEAN Biodiversity Center declared Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park as an ASEAN Heritage Park, integrating it into the regional grouping’s priorities for biodiversity conservation.

Felix Mirasol, park superintendent, told MindaNews in September last year that among the areas considered for development is the park’s big potential for eco-tourism.

Mt. Kitanglad Range was proclaimed a protected area under the natural park category through Presidential Proclamation 896 dated October 24, 1996. On November 9, 2000, it became a full-pledge protected area through Republic Act 8978 also known as the Mt. Kitanglad Range Protected Area Act of 2000.

The race aims to improve the skills of local trail and mountain runners and make them at par with international standard.

Abellanosa said Bukidnon has all the ingredients to be a tourist destination for emerging sports favorites like paragliding, trail running, biking, horseback riding and vertical running.

He said they got the inspiration from Sabah’s Kota Kinabalu sports tourism attractions, which has drawn enthusiasts to Malaysia’s famous mountain.

He said Bukidnon could learn from the experience of Sabah in sports tourism.

“We are somehow looking at building Big Brother relations with the stakeholders there, learn from them, and see what we can bring in,” he added.

As an ASEAN Heritage Park, he said, Mt. Kitanglad is the perfect local counterpart, which is expected to help boost the province’s tourism industry and economy.

The group has dubbed Mt. Kitanglad the “toughest mountain running trail in the country”.

Seven of the ten highest mountains in the Philippines are in Mindanao, and four of them are in Bukidnon, Abellanosa said.

The highest peak in Mt. Kitanglad Range, Mt. Dulang-dulang in Lantapan town, is 2,938 meters above sea level and is the second highest in the country.

“Our mountains play a great role as Mindanao’s watershed and headwater of four major river systems,” he added.

According to its website, the race is a combined effort of sports enthusiast Benjamin Maputi, Abellanosa’s Ohana Adventures Destination Management Group, the Protected Area Management Board, the province of Bukidnon, and the municipalities of Impagug-ong, Manolo Fortich, Sumilao, Lantapan, Libona and Malaybalay City.

Registration for the race is pegged at P1,200 per person.

Abellanosa assured that the indigenous peoples, who claim the whole park as their ancestral domain will not be bypassed in the promotion of Kitanglad as a sports tourism destination and will benefit from it.

He also assured the race will respect their culture. A day before the race, organizers and participants will take part in a tribal ritual.

The organizers also promised to share the proceeds to the Kitanglad Guard Volunteers, who are safeguarding the park with support from the Protected Area Management Board.  (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/13 Jan) – The 3rd Kidapawan Open Chess Championship gets underway on February 12 to 13 at the Kidapawan Convention Center.

International Master Oliver Barbosa is expected to defend his crown in the two-day tournament, which is one of the sporting highlights in Kidapawan City’s founding anniversary.

Top woodpushers across the country, especially those from various cities and municipalities in Mindanao, are expected to compete in the chessfest organized by the Kidapawan Chess Club and backed by the city government of Kidapawan headed by Mayor Dodong Gantuangco.

International Master Richard Bitoon and Oliver Dimakiling of Davao City are among the rated players expected to participate, organizers said.

Last year, the major cities in Mindanao were well-represented in the tournament as rated and non-rated players from Davao, Cotabato, Digos, Malita, Panabo, Cagayan de Oro, Koronadal, General Santos and host Kidapawan took part.

The Manila-based Barbosa ruled the tournament after garnering six points on five wins and two draws in the seven-round Swiss system tournament.

Three other players scored 6 points, including National Masters Levi Mercado and Rustum Tolentino of Cagayan de Oro City and Maamo Harrison of Davao City, but IM Barbosa topped the event due to a higher tie-break in the three-day event.

He pocketed P15,000 for his feat in the tournament which was launched in 2009.

National Master Reggie Olay of Davao City won the inaugural staging of the tournament. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

The 251-page book is a crafty chronicle of the phenomenal rise to fame and fortune of our very own Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao.

Written with keen journalistic fervor, it offers insights of Pacquiao as a generous and loyal friend even as he continues to grapple with his unbelievable journey to become the world’s best pound for pound boxer.

Poole, who writes for New York Times, TIME, GQ and other magazines, spent months inside Pacquiao’s camp during the May 10 elections.

There are some inconsistencies with places and dates about Pacquiao’s early childhood and the sacrifices he made on his way to glory.  But these are expected from somebody who relied heavily on the accounts of others.

Some significant untold stories of Pacquiao have also been missed out but they are understandable.

Again, the book is a view from an author who tried to understand the Filipino psyche while avoiding being too intrusive.

He offered his personal insights on why Manny, despite the failings and excesses of the people around him, has refused to walk away from or dismiss them.  In a way, keeping people around him practically on round the clock, according to the author, is his security blanket – his way of reminding himself that he once had a deprived childhood.  Or how Manny falls into good mood when the company he keeps for the day can make him laugh or laugh at his jokes.  How the lost child in Manny occasionally surfaces with his pranks and his mood swings.

There are a handful of unflattering accounts on Pacquiao’s excesses and extravagance but, on the main, the book fairly described what Manny is now that he is on top of the heap.

Nice and easy reading.  No doubts at all that this book will win a major literary prize.

For Php 455 a copy, Pacman is worth the read for those who can afford. (Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com)

In a message during the opening of the Munato Festival to mark the 18^th Founding Anniversary of Sarangani, Pacquiao announced he was able to get a P200-million commitment from Philippine President Benigno Aquino III for the construction of a provincial hospital.

In a press conference later, Pacquiao, who was elected congressman representing the lone district of Sarangani, said the hospital will be built in the capital town of Alabel next year.

The construction of the provincial hospital was a campaign promise of Pacquiao during the last election.

He likewise announced he was able to get a donation of eight ambulances for Sarangani and for the seven towns of the province from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

The donation was in exchange for endorsing the PCSO.

Pacquiao said he and Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez will look for funds for the annual administrative, maintenance and other operating expenses of the provincial hospital. Although he did not cite any figure, it could run to at least P50 million every year.

The province has an annual budget of slightly over P300 million with more than P149 million coming from its share of the Internal Revenue Allotment from the national government.

Pacquiao arrived Thursday, more than a week after totally annihilating Mexican Antonio Margarito in Arlington, Texas to annex his eight world boxing title in as many weight divisions.

It erased his previous record of seven world titles, the only boxer to have accomplished the feat in the history of boxing.

Pacquiao also held titles in the flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight and welterweight before annexing the super welterweight crown last November 14.

He earned a guaranteed US$15 million for the bout but his earnings could top the US$25 million-mark after the proceeds of the pay per view buys are all accounted for. (Edwin G. Espejo of General Santos City writes for the Asian Correspondent).

With a mindset strong enough to set up concrete accountability structures to ensure responsibilities of his two tasks are done, and acceptably well, he might just be able to pull it off.

Take the case of boxing. He appears to have proven he can accomplish and still withstand the physical rigors of training while at the same navigate the murky waters of politics.

His latest fight with Antonio Margarito had him shuttling between Congress and a gym in Manila, then to training camp in Baguio City, with the last three weeks set aside for final tune-up climaxing on fight night.

His training regimen for the Margarito fight could even be used as a benchmark, considering he trained extra hard due to his opponent’s height, weight and reach advantage.

From Pacquiao himself, down to his coach, Freddie Roach and boxing promoter, Bob Arum, all believe the lowly man from General Santos City can still sail the high seas of boxing and demolish every warrior opponent. All agreed he can even do two fights a year for five years.

But what about Pacquiao as a congressman, his being the representative of the lone district of Sarangani?

His biggest advantage, many would agree, is that Congressman Pacquiao is not a Recto, Diokno, or a Salonga. Hence, he is not obliged, nor would any be expecting him, to engage his colleagues in debates and interpellations, much more author or nurture into passage legislations of national or international importance.

His recent pronouncements during an interview with the international media three days before the fight showed the simplicity of his approach in serving as a congressman.

Similar to many of his colleagues in the Lower House, Pacquiao wants to focus on providing livelihood projects and medical assistance to his constituents, particularly the poor of Sarangani.

Sports, owing to his being a world-class sportsman, is expected to be given a major shot in the arm, particularly in terms of grassroots programs and fund allocations in the national budget pie.

He did mention, however, his advocacy against human trafficking. But it is largely an implant by some of his US advisers, to provide him a platform of international importance.

Livelihood and infrastructure programs may turn out to be his most concrete accomplishments in his three-year term as a congressman. He may even turn out to be a much better performer in this “legislative work”, compared even to his more seasoned colleagues.

Coupled with his lavish and unending dole outs of money and goods, not to mention the regular feasts on birthdays, fiestas, and other occasions that attract hundreds to thousands of his constituency, Pacquiao may have to decide this early whether he’ll want to serve his three-term (nine years) limit as congressman, or gun for the Senate of the Philippines after a single term.

The cover story of American Air Line’s American Way quoted Top Rank’s Bob Arum as believing Pacquiao can run and even become president of the Philippines at the age of 40.

His three-year stint as a congressman and his final showdown with the elusive Floyd Mayweather can be crucial to Pacquiao’s road to more glory, both as a boxer and a public servant in a span of five years.  (Merpu Roa/MindaNews)

Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said Monday the city government will offer Pacquiao a hero’s welcome and the highest honor for bringing glory to the city and the entire country with his masterful domination of Mexican brawler Antonino Margarito in their World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight championship fight on Sunday at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“You can really feel the pride of being a Filipino with his win. It was an achievement that deserves the highest honor,” the mayor said.

Custodio led more than 6,000 residents in cheering for Pacquiao during the local government-sponsored free live viewing of the fight at the city gymnasium.

The city government had sponsored free live telecasts at the city gymnasium for previous major fights of Pacquiao, who hails from Barangay Labangal here.

The boxing champion, who won as representative of nearby Sarangani Province’s lone district in the May 10 elections, is expected to arrive in Manila on Friday.

Custodio said they expect the Pacquiao camp to lay out a grand homecoming party for the boxing champion in Sarangani but she said the city government will formally request a brief stop for the latter in the city.

City officials and residents had honored Pacquiao with a motorcade around the city and a special program at the city’s oval plaza gymnasium every time he came home from his previous international fights.

Pacquiao started his stellar boxing career several years ago in weekend amateur boxing fights at the city plaza that were sponsored by local boxing promoters.

The former “pandesal” vendor turned multimillionaire joined the political arena in the 2007 national and local elections but lost to then reelectionist Rep. Custodio in the race for the first
congressional district seat of South Cotabato.

He has since transferred his official residence to Kiamba town in Sarangani, his wife Jinkee’s hometown, where he won by landslide in last May’s congressional race.

However, Pacquio’s parents Rosalio and Dionisia and most of his siblings have remained residents of the city.

In last month’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, Pacquiao’s younger brother Ruel was reelected chair of Barangay Apopong while sister-in-law Lorelei won as chair of their family’s home village of Labangal. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)

“He’s very tough, I was having difficulty in defeating him, Pacquiao said during a press conference an hour after the WBC super welterweight title fight here at the Dallas Cowboys stadium.

Winning convincingly via a unanimous decision, Pacman threw 713 power punches as against Margarito’s 312.

The punches caused the Mexican’s right eye to almost close due to swelling as well as sustain a large bloody cut while badly bruising the other eye.

Pacquiao, who is also congressman of Sarangani province, said he didn’t expect Margarito to be that strong. ” I really felt his strength,” he said, though acknowledging he motioned the referee to look into Margarito’s swelling eye twice during the last two rounds because he was concerned the Mexican boxer might sustain serious injuries.

He also admitted he was hurt by the Tijuana tornado, both in the body and head, particularly on round six where he tried to open up a bit so he can set him up for a knockout.

“I didn’t expect him to be that strong, ” Pacquiao said. He was really aiming for a knockout, but had to credit Margarito’s strong heart in staying on his feet despite the flurry of punches that landed on the Mexican’s body and face.

The Filipino boxer himself sustained bruises in his face as Margarito fought back with his own combination of punches unto Pacman’s body and face.

He thanked the estimated 41,000 crowd for their support of the boxing sport. Top Rank’s Bob Arum disclosed HBO’s pay per view buys were the highest so far. (Merpu Roa/MindaNews)