The Filipino Profiles

Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer. He is currently the WBO World welterweight champion, Ring Magazine light welterweight champion, and is rated by Ring Magazine as the number 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Pacquiao is also the former WBC World lightweight champion, WBC World super featherweight champion, IBF World super bantamweight champion, and WBC World flyweight champion. Furthermore, he is the former Ring Magazine featherweight and super featherweight champion.

Pacquiao is the first boxer in history to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. In addition, he is the only boxer to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. For his achievements, Pacquiao was named the 2000-09 "Fighter of the Decade" by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Aside from being a boxer, Pacquiao has participated in politics, acting, and music recording.

He was born on December 17, 1978 in Kibawe, Bukidnon, the son of Rosalio Pacquiao and Dionesia Pacquiao. His parents separated when he was in sixth grade, after his mother discovered that his father was living with another woman.

Pacquiao completed his elementary education at Saavedra Saway Elementary School in General Santos City, but dropped out of high school due to extreme poverty. He left his home at age 14 because his mother, who had six children, was not making enough money to support her family.

In February 2007 he took and passed a high school equivalency exam, making him a bonafide high school graduate and eligible for college education. He currently resides in his home town General Santos City, South Cotabato, Philippines. He is married to Jinkee Pacquiao, and they have four children.

He is also a military reservist with the rank of sergeant major

On March 13, 2010, at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Pacquiao defeated Clottey via unanimous decision to retain his WBO welterweight belt. The judges scored the fight 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109, all in favor of Pacquiao. During the fight, Pacquiao threw a total of 1231 punches (a career high), but landed just 246, as most were blocked by Clottey’s tight defense. On the other hand, Clottey threw a total of 399 punches, landing 108. A crowd of 50,994 turned out for the fight, the third largest crowd for an indoor fight in boxing history. In addition, the bout drew 700,000 pay-per-view buys and earned $35.3 million in domestic revenue.

In July 2006, Pacquiao went to the Commission on Elections office to file for official transfer of his residency from General Santos City to Manila, where he owns a condominium unit. Pacquiao was accompanied by Ali Atienza, son of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, fueling speculation that he planned to run for vice mayor of Manila. When asked about his political plans, he said he was still undecided, and was concentrating on his boxing career.

On February 12, 2007, Pacquiao officially announced that he would be running for a seat in the House of Representatives in the May 2007 legislative election as a candidate of the Liberal Party, aiming to represent the 1st District of South Cotabato. Pacquiao, who has been known to be supportive of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said that he was persuaded to run by local officials of General Santos City, who hoped he would act as a bridge between their interests and the national government. Pacquiao was defeated in the election by incumbent Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who said "More than anything, I think, people weren’t prepared to lose him as their boxing icon".

In September 2008, Pacquiao was sworn in as member of Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), a pro-administration political party.

Pacquiao is running for the congressional seat to help the poor like himself of Sarangani province against the founder’s scoin of that province in the 2010 Philippine general election. Pacquiao originally planned to run for congress under his own party the People’s Champ Movement, however, he has since joined the Nacionalista Party headed by Manny Villar. Villar said arrangements would be made to accommodate Pacquiao’s People’s Champ Movement in a coalition with the Nacionalista Party for the May 2010 local elections in Sarangani.