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Let’s put aside politics for a while, and roll-out the welcome mat for Manny Pacquiao. Rated by Ring Magazine as the world’s # 1 pound-for-pound boxer in its latest issue, the Pacman’s presence here provides some much needed relief for residents of this mountain city who have been grappling with a seemingly unsolvable garbage problem.

There’s no doubt that the Pacman saga embodies the aspiration of many of our countrymen: the classic rags to riches story that every young man hopes to replicate someday, if not in the boxing ring, then, perhaps in some other challenging arena of life.

No one can quarrel with that, even if deep in our hearts we know that only a handful out of the millions of our impoverished young men would really have a fighting chance to duplicate his feat. Some call it illusion; but others prefer to call it inspiration.

Still, nothing succeeds, like success. That is why many are drawn to Manny Pacquiao’s persona, not the least of which are politicians who will not hesitate to spend millions just to be at the ringside when the Pacman goes up the ring for some title fight. Better still to be photographed right inside the ring, when Pacquiao gets the award after a victorious fight. That is also why various businessmen would like to have their products endorsed by the Pacman.

And he wins his bouts in the open, in broad daylight before the watchful eyes of millions not only of his countrymen, but other boxing aficionados worldwide. He does it with the skill, guts and determination of a true prizefighter, so much unlike other “victories” that are won through bribery, threats and intimidation and other forms of skullduggery. The Pacman reaps his rewards after thorough training and punishing practice and then sheds some blood in the middle of a fight with his face and body still displaying the cuts and bruises his opponents manage to inflict on him. But still coming out of it all victorious.

So, the Manny Pacquiao saga continues, as he trains up here in Baguio before the adoring eyes of his countless fans. Whether he wins or lose the next fight, that now becomes secondary even as his countrymen wants him to continue winning, if only to provide some relief in their difficult and ever-challenging lives as we cannot even solve our garbage collection and disposal problem here.

When asked when he will retire or what he will do once he hang his gloves in retirement, the Pacman unhesitatingly confirms that he will seek a return bout in politics. In this his fans are split. Some would like him to retire untainted by the dirty world of politics, while others would like him to have him there and “fight” for them.

We said we don’t want to talk about politics this time, but even the Pacman himself cannot resist the challenge that politics opens up to those who want to taste the heady mix of power and service.
So, let’s welcome the Pacman in our garbage-uncollected lives.# nordis.net