IN THE 1969 book titled “Peter Principle” by Dr. Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull, there is a principle that says in the hierarchy of organizations, every employee tends to rise up to the level of his incompetence.
In other words, no matter how hardworking and efficient an employee is, he will reach a point when his promotions will put him in a job where his abilities just don’t cope up anymore and there he ceases to be competent. Different people have different levels of incompetence; some reach the company presidency, some retire as clerks.
Let's apply this principle to Manny Pacquiao. He is an absolutely terrific boxer. The world’s best boxers cower in fear when they fight him. Clearly, in boxing he has not yet reached his level of incompetence.
But outside of boxing, he has certainly reached his level of incompetence. His much touted movie, "Wapakman," bombed in the box office; he lost his congressional bid in his hometown General Santos; and now his scheduled concert in Hawaii has been knocked out due to lack of ticket sales. All of these happening at the height of his unprecedented global popularity.
I think it's about time Manny reads the unmistakable message: people adore him as a boxer; but they're clearly saying he is incompetent in politics, singing and acting.
Now he is at politics again, running for congressman of Sarangani Province. Even assuming that he wins (take note: I’m not saying he has any chance of winning) he will surely look pitiful in Congress.
After his boxing luster is gone, does anyone really think that his fellow congressmen will continue to adore him? With his limited intellectual capacity and even more limited English and Tagalog speaking ability, he will just be a laughingstock in the august halls of Congress. Or he can be the new "Chairman of the Committee on Silence."
If I may give an unsolicited advice to Manny, why don't you stick to sports, where you can be king and popular for as long as you wish?
For example, you can concentrate on your favorite games: boxing, basketball and billiards. With your unprecedented popularity, you can be a big-time boxing promoter yourself; you can put up a basketball team in the PBA; you can nurture and sponsor promising billiards players who are all potential world champions. You may want to further expand your support to games that we Filipinos have good chances of excelling globally: bowling, tennis, etc.
Can you imagine? You have the potential to be the Philippines’ biggest sports patron, bar none. That "title" would surely be more meaningful and popular than an unknown congressman.
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The Rotary Club of South Davao continues to help the less fortunate, as it has been doing for the last 43 years. We are soliciting donations from the public: useful clothings, books, cash, anything useful. You may drop you donations at: The Generics Pharmacy, Wisons Shopping Center, A. Pichon (Magallanes St.), Davao City. Address it to the club, c/o this writer.
"Success, to be really meaningful, must include sharing the fruits of such success with the less fortunate."
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Ismael D. Tabije is the Past President of the Rotary Club of South Davao. The club meets at the Marco Polo Hotel every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Email comments to: idtabije@gmail.com.