Filipino boxing hero, Manny Pacquiao who has now six world boxing titles around his belt. Most sweet of all was from last night's fight with Ricky Hatton of Britain. The fight that I considered even more impressive than Pacquiao/de la Hoya match last December that sent the Mexican to his early retirement from the boxing circuit.
Why not? Amid all speculations that he will succumb to Hatton's power, it was the opposite.
First round, three powerful hits made Hatton knelt and was counted twice by the referee. Second round and Manny finished the fight with a superb final undercut to the chin sending Hatton to the canvas in a somewhat pitiful and morbid state, lays so motionless as if something worst had happened to him. I was glad Ricky recovered after few minutes.
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Filipinos have their own share of achievers and notables around the world in their respective fields. Unfortunately, sometimes we are being stereotyped wrongly not by our own choice, but by circumstances, the government's weak political will, and its flawed domestic and foreign policies geared at Filipinos back home and abroad.
Sure, you may find lots of Filipinos working around the world for other nationalities, and for such a small country, Filipinos are globally visible now, but I'm sure it is for good reasons, not for the lack of it.
"Flash" Elorde - first Filipino Olympian medalist
Bong Coo - gold medalist for a demonstration sport in 1988 Olympics
Paeng Nepomuceno - world record holder in international bowling circuit
Henry Soo - at 14 years old, he's the youngest Filipino and Asian Chess Grandmaster (he's still getting better)
Eugene Torre - first Asian Chess Grandmaster (he once beat Anatoly Karpov of Russia)
Carlos Romulo - world-famous stateman and held the position of UN Secretary-General
Lea Salonga - internationally-known stage actress/singer that was cast in "Miss Saigon" and garnered international awards from Tony to Sir Olivier award-giving bodies
Arnel Pineda - new vocalist for the American band"The Journey"
Charice - young sensational singer whose becoming a household name now. David Foster who built up careers of Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, etc. is also doing the same for her.
Dr. Connie Mariano - is former US President Bill Clinton's personal physician (she must have been in the Air Force One as many times as Bill Clinton's number of boarding)
Dr. Josefino Comiso - NASA's Filipino Physicist. First individual to have noted global warning
Roberto del Rosario - inventor of the now famous Karaoke Sing-Along system
Freddie Aguilar - legendary folk singer whose song "Anak" (Child) was released in 56 countries and translated to dozens different languages.
Manny Pacquiao - need I say more about him?
...and many more.
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May 3, 2009 at 8:55 PM
Nice blog. But I have something to add.
Dado Banatao, the only Filipino Engineer-Enterpreneur in Silicon Valley who made it to the top. The Filipino Engineer who revolutionalized the computer world. He was the author/inventor of 16-bit Microprocessor and the first engineer to run a 10-Mbit ethernet controller, and many more.
But at the end, I would say, let us not cling to these people to define ourselves. If we want to conquer the world then we must conquer ourselves first.
-underpazz of www.electronicslab.ph/forum
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