Pacquiao wants Duterte at ringside

President Rodrigo Duterte raises the hand of Sen. Manny Pacquiao during a courtesy call at Malacañan in December 2016.

The STAR, File

Pacquiao wants Duterte at ringside for Matthysse fight

18SHARES101

Abac Cordero (philstar.com) - April 18, 2018 - 8:02pm

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao wants President Duterte to be at ringside when the Filipino boxing icon challenges Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse on July 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“If the President is not busy,” said Pacquiao in Wednesday’s press conference at the City of Dreams.

No sitting President has ever come to watch Pacquiao fight overseas, and Duterte, his close friend, could be the first.

“I want to invite him,” said Pacquiao.

The line was drawn heading to the July 15 title clash in Malaysia when Matthysse, who’s in the biggest fight of his career, said Pacquiao’s “time is over.”

But Pacquiao is not to be carried away, and in his business suit accorded the champion from Argentina a warm welcome.

During the customary staredown, in front of all the cameras, Pacquiao smiled at Matthysse.

Face to face, they sized each other up, with the WBA belt in between them. They shook hands afterwards.

On Thursday night, they will board the same plane that will take them to Kuala Lumpur for another press conference scheduled on Friday.

Then on Saturday, they fly back to Manila, and go separate ways. The next time they meet again will be on fight week.

Matthysse arrived in Manila Wednesday morning, joined by his manager and promoter, Mario Arano, Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez and PR director Ramiro Gonzalez.

“It was good. It was nice. It was a long trip obviously but it was nice. It’s the normal. I’m a little tired. But we were comfortable,” said Matthysse of the journey that took over 30 hours.

Matthysse said he knows little about the Philippines but came to the press conference in Barong.

“Out of respect,” he said.

“I don’t know too much about the Philippines. I know it’s a beautiful country. And the people have been so nice to me since I got here,” added Matthysse.

It was the first time, too, that he met Pacquiao face to face.

“I’ve seen many of his fights on TV. But I’ve never met him in person,” he said.

They're just getting to know each other.

Read more at https://www.philstar.com/sports/2018/04/18/1807206/pacquiao-wants-duterte-ringside-matthysse-fight#By6DoGUTokj7SVcx.99

New Job for Boxer-Solon

Pacquiao is new face of PH tourism

Ivy Jean Vibar, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Dec 01 2016 06:23 PM

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MANILA – It's more fun in the Philippines—and it will soon be up to boxing icon and lawmaker Manny Pacquiao to prove it to foreign tourists.

The House Committee on Tourism on Thursday approved a proposal to designate the boxer-senator as spokesperson for the Department of Tourism's (DOT) upcoming campaign to promote Philippine attractions here and abroad.

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"Senator Pacquiao's international stature is a big boost to the tourism industry of the country. His endorsement would create a lot of impact, especially in the social media," said 1-PACMAN Representative Enrico Pineda in a statement.

Pineda earlier suggested Pacquiao as tourism ambassador, citing his international popularity, and the possibility that Pacquiao might lend his services to the DOT for free.

The decision to designate Pacquiao as the country's endorser was one of several issues discussed regarding the plans and programs of DOT, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).

In November, the DOT said it will spend P650 million to revise and "upscale" in 2017 the "It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign, which started in 2012, as it allegedly failed to generate enough visitor arrivals.

Advertising and marketing firm McCann Worldgroup, which won the bidding for the project, will handle the conceptualization and implementation of the new campaign Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said.

"The P650 million is not only for the tag line itself; that includes all the media placements all over the world," DOT Undersecretary Kat de Castro said.

According to the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group, data from DOT showed that the number of visitors to the country consistently increased from January 2012 to December 2015, reaching 5,360,682 visitors in 2015.

In 2016, the DOT's latest data from January to August showed that the country welcomed at least 4.04 million tourists, 12.59 percent (452,011) higher than the number of tourists received in the same period in 2015.

Crying Pacquiao ‘let Philippine fans down’

Crying Pacquiao ‘let Philippine fans down’

Again On The Top?

Mindanao Daily Mirror fellow columnist Bert Tesorero commented it very well:

"There are varied reactions among the local residents on the victory of the Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacguiao against his Mexican challenger Juan Marguez in a grudge fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, last Sunday. They feel dismayed or even frustrated that thePacman failed to topple the Mexican pug. Others even think Marguez won the fight just because he stunned the Filipino boxer idol with a couple of staggering power punches during the bout. But the ring judges gave the cards to Pacman and that's it."

Government driver Dodong Salvador of Sandawa Homes in Kidapawan City stated:

"Manny is old. His fist doesn't have strength anymore.  He is no longer the Manny of yesteryears!"

Kidapawan Bishop Romulo dela Cruz said Marguez could have gotten the nod of the judges if he had been more on the offensive. Manny was more like the challenger. We have to admire Marguez for the improvement he has shown. But I like the decision!"