Pacquiao arrives to a hero’s welcome in Manila

 

ABBI CHENG, YouTube Review 

Filipino boxing icon  Manny Pacquiao has arrived to a hero’s welcome in Manila. 

Cheers greeted him at the airport shortly after emerging from the plane which touched down around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday (Manila time). 

On seeing him at the presidential lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 2, his children hugged him. 

In a brief statement, the reigning WBC Lightweight Champion thanked all those who prayed for his victory against boxing superstar Oscar de la Hoya. 

From the airport, Pacquiao went straight to a Makati hotel for a brief rest before going to Quiapo Churh in Manila, where a thanksgiving mass attended by his legion of fans was said. 

Shortly after, Pacquiao paid a courtesy call on his avid fan, President Gloria Arroyo, in Malacanang. As in his past wins, a specially-designed cake was presented to him, this time a glove-shaped carrot cake bearing the words “World’s number one pound for pound boxer.”

“It was a mismatch the other way around,” INQUIRER.net quoted Arroyo as telling Pacquiao, referring to oddsmakers prediction the much bigger Dela Hoya would easily crush the Filipino ring idol.

“You are not an underdog,” the beaming Arroyo told Pacquiao, a four-time world champion in four different weight divisions.

De la Hoya refused to come out of his corner after he got a flurry of punches from Pacquiao during their eight-round “Dream Match” in Las Vegas, Nevada Saturday —  a surrender pundits say signals the end of  “The Golden Boy’s” stellar boxing career.

Shortly after they stepped out of the ring, Pacquiao told De la Hoya: “You are still my idol.” De la Hoya replied, “No, you are now my idol.”

A big victory parade in key areas around Metro Manila is set Thursday.