Sunday, April 15, 2007 Ordinary folks ponder Manny’s P400M By Elisabeth Baumgart STC Media Comm Intern
A GOOD fraction of the Philippines will be glued to their TV sets today, watching the highly-anticipated fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jorge Solis, whether through pay-per-views or through the ads-proliferated and delayed free TV.
And as boxing fans diligently watch as Pacquiao takes on Solis, the money just keeps on pouring in for Pacquiao.
After his 12-round fight—which could end as early as the sixth according to his trainer—Pacquiao could gross some P400 million.
His purse for the fight is between $4 and $5 million, while Solar Sports paid him $1.2 million for the rights to air the fight. In addition, Pacquiao could get close to $2 million as his share of the PPV buys, making his gross today between $7.2 and $8.2 million (P352.8 million and P401.8 million).
His purse is expected to be slashed by taxes and the cuts for the trainers, manager and cut man, but even without the purse, Pacquiao’s income is already close to P200 million, and that’s excluding his numerous commercials.
With Pacman’s new mansion and other fancy things, one can only wonder where he’ll spend his next paycheck. But for an ordinary man, P 400 million is but just a dream. And where to spend the wads of cash, is another dream altogether.
Blessings
If security guard Valentine Ornopia Jr. could get his hands on P400 million, he would definitely share his blessings.
“If I see in my barangay really poor people, whose parents have no work, then I’ll build houses for them. After that, I’ll construct a pension house in Cebu City and have them work there. They’ll just go home on the 15th and on the end of each month,” said Ornopia.
For Ornopia, this is his way of helping his fellowmen who are in need, by providing them with houses and work.
Former boxer turned taxi driver Erwin Guevarra, 40, shares the same ideals as Ornopia.
“I’d give money to the poor,” said Guevarra.
Guevarra, who was a boxer from 1973 to 1993, stopped boxing due to complications in the left eye. Since he claims to have known Pacquiao personally, he suggests some ways for the people’s champ to spend his earnings.
Ticket
“He should donate it to sectors that really need it. He can even build a school or help out a foundation,” Guevarra suggested.
While Ornopia and Guevarra try and help those who need the money, others will ‘use’ the money in their struggle for day-to-day living.
For 50-year-old Densio Meranillo, getting the money means his ticket out of poverty. After selling street food, he’d much rather start a new business. Though what that business might be, he’s not yet sure.
“I don’t know what business. Just any business would do, as long as it will grow,” said Meranillo.
Fruit vendor Marvin Reyes, who hails from Carcar, definitely has business on his mind. He would invest his money on either owning a restaurant or an apartment.
For taxi driver Josol Epitacio Jr., who has seven children and a wife to feed, P400 million is a definite blessing.
“I’d put up a business, buy a taxi unit. Or I’d own a restaurant and the rest of the money I will deposit in a bank. You see, with a restaurant, everybody has to pay. Drivers would always pay in cash,” said Epitacio.
Though earning P 400 million is not something that happens to anybody—unless of course you are Manny Pacquiao—it’s interesting to know what people would do with it. After all, one is entitled to dream big. Now the question is, what would you do with P 400 million?
