Day 6: Dear Hon. Manny Pacquiao

Dear Hon.  Manny Pacquiao,

First and foremost, let me make it clear that I am not one of your avid fans. However, I believe that you have to be given the proper credit and respect that any athlete, one that represents the country at that, deserves.

Honestly, I wasn’t able to watch your fight today nor do I have any plans of watching it anytime soon. I just happened to know the news that you were knocked out by Marquez while scanning my fb wall.

 I may not be your fan but when I saw photos of you on the ring, right after you fell down, I was gripped by a momentary, deep sense of sadness and loss. A portion of it was for you, bloody and swollen----a clear picture of defeat. I also know how it feels to be defeated and to lose something so  personally vital, although our circumstance may be different. However, a big portion of that momentary sadness and loss goes out to those Filipino people who see you as a source of pride and hope. At a time when the confidence of the Filipino people was at its lowest and when hope was nothing more but an elusive truth, you represented the country and redeemed the lost confidence and hope of our kababayans . Although your past triumphs had no direct impact on our economy or on our politics, but the mere fact that you’ve awaken the Filipino spirit and pride, everytime you had a fight or with just  the mere mention of your name, was perhaps a small start in the change that we are aiming for.  

So Hon. Pacquiao, you may have been battered to defeat today, but I would like to give you the credit which you deserve. Only a few can manage to inspire a group of people at a time when the looming problem of poverty and bad governance shackle them---and you were able to do that. Again, I may not be your fan, but I would like to sincerely thank you. And with your defeat today, the whole Filipino nation, the nation which you proudly represented in all your fights, feel for you.

All good things must come to an end, an adage says. You come from a resilient race, and surely, you’ll find your footing and balance once again Mr. Pacquiao. Never mind, it’s just the end of a good career, not the end of everything.

A concerned Filipino citizen,

Miss Aura Carmela P. Ferrariz.

P.S. Don’t you think that the saying, “mothers know  best” is always true? Peace! :)