A SUCCESSFUL 71st Araw Ng Dabaw imprinted in the minds of Dabawenyos as one of the most victorious so far in the light of Manny Pacquiao's equally colorful campaign in the world-class arena of boxing.
As the Davao City government's free pay-per-view roars with every effective blow-by-blow performance of the Mindanao southpaw, the churches exploded with colors of different lights to go with the colorful parade of the 150-group marches in the major streets.
Pink, yellow, green and blue-colored flowers in man-made form adorned the traditionally Filipino-styled Palm Sunday celebration.
My ageing mother Sally invited me back to St. Jude where I have seen the colors now in the cacophony of lights following a review of the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch.
Business-wise, the fight that went the distance in all 12 rounds of exciting fisticuffs, was actually all done in favor of two of the world's highest paid super featherweight boxers.
The one and only Manny Pacquiao, however, uniquely own the honor of wearing the belt as the new WBC super featherweight champion.
Just the same, all that Juan Manuel Marquez can do is flash a happy, wry smile after hearing the next scorecards reading in Manny's favor 1 to 2 split decision. That never-say-die stance of both corners had all of us wondering as to how such hard grind fighters could have survived those brutal exchanges of blows in all 36 minutes of the fight.
Saint Jude is the same place where we had one of our birthday thanksgiving celebrations by its councilor-parishioner Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap-Davao) president Edgar Ramos Ibuyan.
Ahead of the Manny Pacquiao euphoria at the Almendras Gym was the Araw ng Dabaw boxing festival right at the backyard of City Hall where Ibuyan expressed sincere thanks to all for giving importance to the development of Davao boxing.
Too bad my mother, brothers and sisters with me no longer have the privilege of sharing all the excitement as our family's No. 1 Manny Pacquiao fan, Romualdo L. Sabaldan, 81 and a month old was already fighting the fight of his life at the ICU room of the Davao Doctors Hospital. He passed away Wednesday.
Ahead of all of us is Victorio Sai, dear departed fellow member of the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) and the Davao Football Association (DFA). He was one of the most experienced sportswriters in the country starting from the pre-martial law defunct Philippines Herald to becoming the longest-serving sports editor of the Mindanao Daily Mirror.
The most durable so far is Ram Maxey. I was not yet even born when he had started his career as sportswriter in 1949.
My father though still heard me when I whispered to him our favorite gospel song at the hospital before he passed away. Heartbeat in the morning at the Eastern Gate by Jimmy Swaggart. (Romy Sabaldan)
