By Ronnie Nathanielsz
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao yesterday demonstrated that his courageous heart was filled with concern for the poorest among the poor when he celebrated his 26th birthday by giving out gift packs and money to thousands of his townmates, who flocked to his home since dawn, to greet their hero and to receive his tokens of appreciation and affection.
A bodega full of blue plastic bags each containing three kilos of rice, noodles and canned goods were personally handed out by Pacquiao, along with P100 to each recipient even as men, women and young people and children surged through the gates of his home.
The crowd swelled toward noon after word quickly spread about the kindness and generosity of the "Pacman."
Unwilling to turn people away, Pacquiao had his helpers buy an additional 65 sacks of rice to be distributed to the poor even as he told a Viva Sports/Manila Standard team that watched in awe that
he remembered his own humble beginnings and "felt good about doing good."
At times, Pacquiao had to use a bullhorn to keep the surging crowd from pushing and shoving the old women and men, who had lined up for hours and the crowd obeyed him immediately.
Pacquiao's mother Dionisia was overjoyed by the kind heart of her son and thanked God for teaching him to share some of his good fortune with the poor. Around 2:30 p.m., some of his relatives and friends were wondering just how long the gift-giving would last as the rice was running low and the bundles of crisp, new P100 bills were also thinning.
But Pacquiao was determined to continue no matter what the cost even as his charming wife Jinkee, who stayed in the background smiled at the inherent goodness in the heart of her husband who truly was a champion and hero to his countrymen.
