Filipinos worldwide burst into wild applause and cheers on Sunday, December 7, 2008 (Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) after local boxing hero Manny Pacquiao defeated the Golden Boy, American Oscar de la Joya who was forced to quit at the end of the eighth round.
The large flag- waving crowd of the Filipino fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and millions more in theaters, bars, restaurants and homes in the United States, as well as the millions of Filipinos across the archipelago and in different parts of the world, cheered themselves as Manny Pacquiao lifted their spirits and gave the Philippines and her people an early Christmas gift with his smashing victory.
In a brief exchange after the fight, Pacquiao gracefully told de la Hoya, “You are still my idol no matter what happened,” to which the losing warrior replied, “No, you are my idol.”
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called to congratulate Pacquiao for his victory.
“You are a hero,” Arroyo said.
With reports from ABS-CBN News Online
