Press Release
November 8, 2016

Sponsorship Speech of Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri

Isang malaking karangalan para sa akin ang bigyang-pugay ngayong hapong ito ang isang kaibigan at kapwa mambabatas at kapwa taga-Mindanao na si Senator Manny Pacquiao.

I am particularly proud of the fact that this Honorable Senator and Honorable Champion was actually born in Barangay Magsaysay, Kibawe, Bukidnon. Mr. President, it was in his short years in Bukidnon before he moved and grew up in General Santos.

It's been 21 years now that Senator Pacquiao has been engaged in the world of professional boxing. Barely 5 feet tall and weighing-in 106lbs when the young Manny Pacquiao set for a career in 1995 that would change his life forever. Now, more than two decades after, the light flyweight from GenSan and Bukidnon is known as one of the greatest athletes the world has ever known.

Maraming pumuna sa muling pagbalik nya sa boxing ring sa kabila ng pagkakahalal nya bilang isang Senador ng Republika ng Pilipinas pero hindi ito nagpatinag sa ating Pambansang Kamao upang muling mag-uwi ng karangalan sa ating bansa. He juggled his training with his duties as legislator of this august Chamber at gusto ko pong sabihin sa ating mga kababayan na di po nag-absent, ni minsan, ang ating Pambansang Kamao in this last few months while training for his fight with Mr. Vargas. In fact, he's very active in attending committee hearings and in participating in deliberations and discussions on the floor.

In the Senate, there are a lot of mental challenges and these challenges can be taxing to one's body kaya ako'y saludo sa kanya dahil coming out of the Senate fighting all these mental challenges he still has the time and the effort of training hard to win championship fights.

Manny Pacquiao, no doubt, is one of the greatest boxers in the world and history would remember him as the first and only boxer to be hailed an eight-division world champion and the first boxer to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes. But history does not stop in him being an octuple world champion, he made a habit of making history, and this time Manny has set his mark as the first sitting senator to win a world boxing title. This he triumphantly accomplished after his match last Sunday against Jessie Vargas.

The Filipino boxing icon Senator Manny Pacquiao's exemplary performance is a resounding roar of his return in the ring and I filed Senate Resolution Resolution No. 225 to congratulate and commend Senator Manny Pacquiao for winning his match against Jessie Vargas. I now stand before you to honor him for his invaluable contribution to Philippine sports and for consistently bringing pride to our country. He is not just the pride of the Senate, he is our national pride and inspiration to many.

Mabuhay ka, Manny!

News Latest News Feed