He fought three times this year and won them all in the most dominating fashion. Twice he knocked out his Hall-of-Fame bound former nemesis Erik Morales.
It was Morales who dealt Manny his only loss since abdicating his World Boxing Council flyweight boxing title at the scales in 1999 to a forgettable Thai fighter.
In between, the two Morales fights this year, he entertained his countrymen with a 12-round schooling of another Mexican gladiator, Oscar Larios, at the famed Araneta Coliseum.
What made his resounding victories more astonishing is that he scored seven knockdowns in three fights this year. No other boxer had done that in 2006 - fought three times against topnotch opponents and scored seven knockdowns.
No wonder he is boxing world's hottest item this year.
In the process, he turned many doubting Thomases into overnight fanatic.
With no more big fight lined up this month to close 2006, Manny is virtually a lock up for Fighter of the Year honors.
Gensan phenom
Manny's phenomenal and meteoric rise to boxing stardom began when he gate-crashed into the elite circle of world boxing champions by dethroning South Africa's Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in brutal six rounds in 2001.
He made five successful defenses of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight crown before deciding it was time to shoot for the jackpot.
He cried out the name of consensus world featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera who gladly accepted the challenge thinking Manny was a crackpot.
On November 16 (Manila time), 2003, he astounded the predominantly Mexican crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas by mercilessly punishing Barrera en route to a technical knockout victory in 11 rounds.
Many considered his victory over Barrera a fluke.
Undaunted, Manny fought another Mexican, Juan Manuel Marquez, a feared ring tactician avoided by many top-ranked boxers in the junior featherweight division.
Manny bloodied and knocked Marquez down thrice in the first round but was held to a controversial draw.
The fight saw many critics saying Manny is a one-dimensional boxer unable to adjust against a technically superior fighter.
That even pushed Pacquiao to scale greater heights.
After a four-round knockout win over Fahsan Por Thawachai he challenged Erik Morales in March 2005.
Manny stood toe-to-toe with Morales but a nasty cut over his right eyebrow in the fifth round gave him problems with his vision.
He lost a narrow unanimous decision. Although bloodied, he proved he belonged to the elite circle of pound for pound boxers in the world by standing up with Morales. In defeat, he gained even more recognition.
With his reputation never diminished over the said loss, not a few cried out for a rematch.
That rematch indeed happened in January this year.
Earlier, both Morales and Pacquiao appeared in the same card of an HBO presentation hyped as their tune-up fights.
Manny did his share by carving out a knockout victory over Hector Velasquez. Morales fell victim to Zahir Raheem in what many believe was a major upset of 2005.
That Morales setback however did not dampen popular clamor for the two boxers to square off atop the ring again.
On January 21, a decidedly underdog Manny Pacquiao displayed an array of boxing styles never seen before without giving up his frenetic speed and vaunted power.
He stalked Morales for five rounds and began to punish the Mexican in the sixth round with right hooks and left straights to the face and the body.
Finally, in the tenth round, Manny exacted revenge by twice knocking down Morales en route to a technical knockout win.
That victory cemented his niche in the boxing world's top pound for pound list.
His victory over Morales in a rubber match last month, coupled with his drubbing of Larios made him a sure bet for Fighter of the Year honors in many boxing magazines and websites.
Controversy
The Gensan southpaw also had his share of legal entanglements this year.
He was haled to court by a former lover whom he reportedly bore a child.
His long time manager Shelly Finkel threatened to sue him and his Filipino lawyer Franklin "Jeng" Gacal Jr. for breach of contract for promoting the Pacquiao-Larios fight.
He is still being chided for his "extra-curricular activities" including his penchant for gambling.
Lately, he got himself into trouble by signing promotional contracts with two of the world's biggest promoters in the entities of Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank.
Although Manny was not included in the lawsuits filed against each other by the said promoters, his chances of landing lucrative fights next year looked imperiled.
But both Oscar de la Hoya of Golden Boy and Bob Arum of Top Rank are moving heaven and earth to have Manny in their fold - a situation that may turn into good fortune for Pacman.
Manny and his lawyer Jeng Gacal are keeping their mouth shut over the development of the case. But one thing is certain. Manny will fight within the first four months of 2007, an insider of Team Pacquiao said.
Gensan's pride
Without Manny, General Santos's claim to fame is only its world-renowned tuna products.
Where before the premier tourist destination of this southern port city is the fish port, local and foreign visitors are now also queuing up to have a glimpse of Manny's P35-million mansion and pose for a snapshot with him.
Now, from Tijuana in Mexico to Pretoria in South Africa, Manny Pacquiao is a recognizable name.
Whenever Michael Buffer introduced Manny, he always preceded it with "from General Santos City, Philippines."
That always brings a wide grin to Mayor Pedro Acharon. And it has become a tradition for the City Government to fete Manny whenever he arrives home after a fight - win or lose.
Throughout the country, Pacman has become a household name.
On his birthday, Acharon awarded him a plaque for excellence - just the latest of his numerous citations.
The Philippine Army has enlisted him as a technical sergeant in the reserve forces. The ABS-CBN came over to hold a TV special for a fee to honor him.
Celebrities and politicians are continuously lapping up with him. Indeed, Manny now has everything he wished for.
He earned more than enough in purse winnings. He signed advertising contracts in seven figures. He has yet to collect his share of the pay-per-view proceeds for his latest Morales bout with could be at least P50 million more to his bank account.
Generous
If Manny is known for his frenetic pace and generousness in handing out punishment to his foes atop the ring, he is likewise known for his easy handedness in doling out cash and other material help even to strangers.
He just gave his old bungalow to his mother with a matching car plus a driver.
As usual, he handed out rice, canned goods and cash to well-wishers and neighbors as Christmas presents. He tendered a Christmas party for the local media. He pledged P1.5 million to the victims of Bicol mudslides. God knows how much more have he given to circle of friends.
He spent at least a couple of millions just for his birthday, house blessing and christening of his only daughter Mary Divine Grace.
For all his achievements this year and his share of controversies, Manny certainly deserves to be named Gensan's Man of the Year.
