proFILED: Emmanuel "Manny" Pac-Man" Pacquiao

proFILED:

Photo Credit: Dewey Nicks for Time
(www.time.com)

Strength and Power: A Boxing Champion and a Politician

EMMANUEL “MANNY” PACQUIAO: A Filipino Congressman and the first eight-division world champion who currently holds the WBO Welterweight Belt.

        Emmanuel “Manny”Dapidran Pacquiao was born on December 17, 1978 in Kibawe, Bukidnon. He has six siblings and the fourth-born of parents Dionesia Dapidran and Rosalio Pacquiao. He has two older siblings from the first husband of his mother namely: Liza Silvestre-Onding and Domingo Silvestre. He is second among the four siblings sired by his father namely: Isidra Pacquiao-Paglinawan, Alberto “Bobby” Pacquiao and Rogelio Pacquiao. His parents separated when he was on sixth grade.

        Manny finished his elementary education at Saavedra Saway Elementary School in General Santos City, but dropped out of high school because of extreme poverty. At the age of 14, he left home and moved to Manila and for a time lived in the streets. He started boxing and made it into the Philippine National Amateur Boxing Team.  

        Manny is married to Maria Geraldine “Jinkee” Jamora and they have four children namely: Emmanuel Jy. “Jimuel, Michael, Princess, and Queen Elizabeth. He resides in General Santos City but as a representative of Sarangani Province, he officially lives in Kiamba, Sarangani Province, the hometown of his wife.

        He is a devout Catholic. He is frequently seen to wear his rosary before and after his fights and to perform the sign of the cross when in the boxing ring.

        Aside from his passion in boxing, Manny also participated in show business (showbiz). He appeared in several films like Lisensyadong Kamao (his first leading role), Anak  ng Kumander and Wapakman, to name a few. He also made it to the music industry and made two albums. Most of his songs were composed by novelty song composer Lito Camo. Some of his popular songs were “Para Sa’yo Ang Laban Na’to” and “Lahing Pinoy”.

        Manny Pacquiao is also granted the honor of Lieutenant Colonel rank in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army.

        In his professional boxing career, he has 59 fights with 54 wins, 38 won by KO (knock-out), 3 losses and 2 draws. Aside from Pac-Man, another of his famous nicknames is ‘The Mexicutioner’, because of the number of famous Mexican boxers he defeated in different weight divisions. Among them are Juan Manuel Marquez, Antonio Margarito, Marco Antonio Barrera, Jorge Solis and Erik Morales. Some of his latest ‘non-Mexican’ wins are against Timothy Bradley, Shane Mosley, Joshua Clottey, Miguel Angel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and David Diaz. Some people and critics doubt if he will ever defeat those bigger and heavier than him. Against all odds, he defeated them, but of course with the perfect partnership and hard-disciplined training from his team and Coach Freddie Roach. He hurdled boxing’s weight divisions from Flyweight, Super Bantamweight, Featherweight, Super Featherweight, Lightweight, Light Welterweight, Welterweight and Light Middleweight. He is a Southpaw fighter and has a powerful left fist that can knock-out contenders in one punch. But during his recent fights, he has also developed his right hand to equal his left. Manny has speed, power and accuracy in his punches which obtain him his wins.