MANNY ‘PACMAN’ PACQUIAO HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Manny ‘the Pacman’ Pacquiao, a sensational athelete’s fan and the boxing superstar thus far.

Once upon a time, he was a street urchin, he was a goner dressed in filthy rags. But for the natural gift and a fierce dedication to match, Manny Pacquiao has risen to become a modern day icon for the Filipinos in the Philippines and to the entire people world wide.

Prudence at 2 years

and 4 months

Even my youngest child Prudence, at two years and six months, is an avid fan of the ‘Pacman’. He can identify the Pacman in pictures or in television. When the ring announcer declares his name in the ring—Mannnnnyyyyy Pacmaaaaannnnn, Prudence will finish the declaration--- Pacquiiaaaooo. Prudence has his punching bag and he is more than willing to display his punching sequence ala Pacquiao when prodded to.

Yesterday, December 17, 2009, Thursday was Pacquiao’s birthday and he turned thirty one (31) years old as he capped off his landmark year with a grand birthday bash at the KCC Convention Center in General Santos City. The celebration was very elaborate befitting a king. An estimated 2,000 people attended.

Like his past birthdays, there was a Raffle too but this time however, Manny was raffling off something bigger – a brand new unit of TOYOTA VIOS costing almost a million pesos.

Manny Pacquiao has everything now. To say that he has billions of pesos in cash; thousands of hectares of landholdings; commercial buildings, mansions in his hometown in General Santos; another in Laguna Province; and another in Manila, Philippines, are still a understatement.

For him, how beautiful the world is from above. “A sea of flowers as far as the eye could see filled the air with petals and the scent of spring. The skies were tinged with the soft orange of dawn; a cloudless beginning for the day. The single cliff he stood upon was high enough to look at the valley in wonder and feel the chilly, morning breeze that came from below. The sun woke up on the horizon, filling the world slowly with its light and then – later, its warmth. A flying 'V' of ducks crossed the sky overhead, heading home. This and more made such a fantastical image that he had to hold his breath”, whew!!! Surely, such measure of success only existed in fairy tales and wildest dreams for us, but for Manny ‘the Pacman’ Pacquiao, it’s vivid and real. Surely.