Friday, January 27, 2006
Lee: Triumphs
By Kelvin King Lee
Babble On
"In Manny, the average Filipino can see that success is possible, through hardwork, tiyaga, and God's help. And God willing, Manny will remain a success and perhaps become a role model to the average Filipino."
THE Asean Tourism Forum was a roaring success I hear, thanks to the efforts of the hardworking men and women of Davao City. In a time when there is nearly nothing but bad news being thrown around, hearing about the success of the recent ATF in our very own Davao City is a refreshing piece of news. Dabawenyos should give themselves a big pat on the back, especially to the organizers, one of whom was Madam Baby Montemayor.
According to my sources, Madam Montemayor was one of the driving forces behind the scenes of the ATF, making sure everything was running smoothly. Without her and the others who give their all, the ATF would not have been the success it was.
Above all, congratulations should be given to our own Mayor Duterte, whom Tourism Secretary Ace Durano called: "Davao's greatest tourist attraction." The mayor helped make Davao what it is today, and also made sure that the city was peaceful for the ATF.
I for one, am glad that Davao is full of great men and women like them.
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Another great triumph was the recent victory of Manny Pacquiao over the so called "El Terrible" Morales in their boxing match in Las Vegas. I cannot confess to any fascination with the sport of boxing, but there is no denying the Filipino's enthusiasm for the sport, especially when it involves victory on the part of the Pacman. It is interesting to see how much Manny Pacquiao is idolized right now. It could be that the Filipinos love a victory.
However, I daresay that it is more than just love of victory and savagery of the sport that drive people to watch the Pacman in action. I think it boils down to hope. In Manny Pacquiao, the average Filipino sees the personification of his hopes and dreams. Manny's success is an example of how anyone can rise above the
dreary circumstances of one's life and make himself, and his life, better.
The average Filipino can relate to him. Because Manny, despite his successes, has not changed much. Or at least, not yet. He remains the same Pacman he was when he started boxing. Humble, hardworking and willing to work even harder to achieve more. He has not put on airs despite his many victories and popularity, nor has his tastes changed much. He is said to continue living a Spartan life, especially when training. Although I have heard of his extravagant spending on cars and property, such expensive "bling-bling" has yet to be seen on Manny's actual person.
In other words, Manny looks to have remained the same in temperament and personality. What you see of Manny on television when he is interviewed is said to be what you literally get. And so the people love him, idolize him and would drop anything and everything to watch him in action. Thus the whole of the Philippines stopped last Sunday to watch what happened in Manny's match. And much to the Filipino's delight, the Pacman won.
In Manny, the average Filipino can see that success is possible, through hardwork, tiyaga, and God's help. And God willing, Manny will remain a success and perhaps become a role model to the average Filipino. You don't need to cheat (as the average politician does) or lie or steal or gamble to become a success. All it takes is hard work and a little help from the Big Guy Up There.
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Sad to say that during the Manny Pacquiao fight, I kept getting text messages from some of my friends in the Calinan area of Davao, asking who was winning the fight, El Terrible or the Pacman. At first I found it amusing that such avid fight fans would want a blow by blow account of the match. Later on though, I got a text begging me to tell him who won the fight because he had bet a lot of money on the match. I texted him that Manny won in the tenth round, and that Morales had been knocked down several times, although I was the one who felt like he had just been knocked down.
Although I realize sports gambling has become a way of life for some people, it is still a sad thing to see and hear about. Especially when it involves a fairly close friend whom you thought you knew. May I suggest that the City government look into dealing with sports gambling? An anti-sports gambling program akin to the anti-smoking campaign would work wonders in the city.
Besides, sports gambling can give birth to much more serious social problems down the line. Look at Metro Manila. Sports gambling is already a given, with bookies and loansharks running around during the UAAP or PBA basketball seasons. A Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has published a news report on how even students are participating in sports gambling. The shootout last year involving members of the Jaworski family of basketball fame was said to have been caused by a sports gambling debt.
The last thing we want is for Davao City, after its recent ATF triumph, to fall prey to the perils of sports gambling and its associated evils. Even if it is still a small problem in the city, it is better that the city prepares preventive measures already.
Better safe than sorry.
Email me at babbleoncolumn@yahoo.com
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