CEBU MAYORS CONFER PACQUIAO A C.H.A.M.P.
By Tonton Alcos-Antogop
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 08 Oct 2018
CEBU CITY- With his boxing prowess notwithstanding, Manny Pacquiao was given an award for his Cebuano lineage.
The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP-Cebu) bestowed the award on the fighting senator, the Cebuano Heritage Award for Manny Pacquiao (C.H.A.M.P.)
?Binigyan namin siya ng award (We gave him an award), Cebuano Heritage Award for Manny Pacquiao (CHAMP) natatangi ito para sa kanya kay (this is only for) Senator Manny Pacquiao? uttered Tuburan town Mayor Democrito ?Aljun? Diamante, the LMP Cebu chapter president in a televised live interview at the jampacked University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) Basak campus gym here Saturday night where Pacquiao founded Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) held a home game for the Cebu City Sharks-Casino Ethyl Alcohol.
The Sharks won the game incidentally at the expense of league leading Makati City Skycrappers (8-2) 70-66, thanks to the home town crowd who inspired the Cebuano dribblers who nearly crumbled in the homestretch.
Way ahead in the first three quarters, the Sharks nearly succumbed in the fourth as Makati tried to overcome their deficit.
?The home crowd really helped in inspiring the boys. Their cheers and accolades really pushed them hard to have this victory. This is a revelation about the team. They could really win if given the right mindset and motivation,? Jerome Calatrava, the Vice President of Omega Pro-Sports International (OPSI), the sports program arm of International Pharmateutical Inc. (IPI) which owns the Sharks franchise, described the game outcome.
With still 15 games to be played, the Sharks (2-8), according to head coach Norberto ?Titing? Manalili could still make it to the quarter finals if they will win most of their remaining games.
Manalili said they plan to rebuild their team by adding two key players in the scheduled ?trade-in? of the league since his team is ready to release 6?4 bruiser Jondan Salvador and power forward Erick Rodriguez.
For the LMP, they cited the MPBL founder as being the only eight-division world champion for boxing thus bringing pride and honor for the Philippines, his contribution to sports development, being a philanthropist and a highly esteemed public servant.
While being a boxer, Pacquiao became a two-term congressman and is now serving as Senator of the Philippine Republic since he won the 2016 synchronized local and national elections.
The Cebu Mayors conferred a plaque and unanimously approved a resolution, Resolution No. 13 series of 2018, stating that Pacquiao, is a fellow Cebuano.
?WHEREAS, in all his successes and endeavors, we are fully aware of his roots as our fellow Cebuano, that sayeth, THEREFORE be it RESOLVED as it is hereby RESOLVED that we, the LEAGUE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES OF THE PHILIPPINES-CEBU CHAPTER will confer unto MANNY PACQUIAO, the CEBUANO HERITAGE AWARD FOR MANNY PACQUIAO (C.H.A.M.P).
MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes holds the resolution confering the Cebuano Heritage Award for Manny Pacquiao (C.H.A.M.P.)
The resolution was signed by LMP Cebu Pres. Mayor Diamante, LMP Cebu Vice Pres. for Internal Affairs Ronald Allan Cesante (Dalaguete); Vice Pres. for External Affairs Theresa Alegado (Consolacion) and San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya, the LMP Cebu secretary.
Unknown to many, Pacquiao is a true blooded Cebuano as his father, Rosalio, hails from Pinamungajan town but migrated to Mindanao.
Manny was born in Kibawe, Bukidnon where Rosalio met Dionisia Dapidran-Pacquiao, known popularly as ?Mommy D? or ?Pac-Mom?, also Cebuano speaking, being born in Inopacan, Leyte.
Rosalio and Dionisia had three other children, Cong. Rogelio ?Ruel? Pacquiao (Sarangani, lone district), General Santos City councilor Roberto ?Bobby? Pacquiao, also former world boxing champion, and Isidra Pacquiao-Paglinawan, a businesswoman.
In behalf of Senator Pacquiao, Atty. Danilo Roleda, former president of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), a bosom friend of the Senator received the award along with MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes.
Also present during the awarding were MPBL deputy commissioner Satar Macantal, Operations head Zaldy Realubit, Team coordinator Emerson Oreta and Security and Crowd control manager Rudy Distrito.
Meanwhile, in the preliminaries of the basketball game, former Cebuano cager Reed Friar Juntilla led the Zamboanga Valientes-
Family Brand Sardines to win over Basilan Steel, 94-80.
After the pulsating Cebu homegame, the MPBL officials led by Duremdes and the entire Cebu City Sharks team motored to Naga City last Sunday to visit the evacuees of the recent landslide and hand-in their donations and relief goods.
?This is our way of condoling them and inspiring them. Senator Manny had the instruction of extending help to them, this is our outreach program,? Duremdes told this writer.
MPBL was established in August 2017. It is now on its second season, the Datu Cup. It has 20 participating teams composed of private business groups who have a local government units (LGU?s) as partners.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Tonton Alcos-Antogop.
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