I APPLAUD City Hall and the City Council for their plan to build boxing clinics in the barangays under the long-term goal of producing the next Manny Pacquiao.

Here’s a portion of the news that came out in the front page of this paper’s Nov. 15 issue under the headline “Councilor wants boxing clinics to search for ‘the next Manny.’”

“After Manny Pacquiao’s victory, a Cebu City councilor said he wants the Cebu City Sports Commission to build up its boxing clinics in the barangays. These clinics, said Councilor Alvin Dizon, may help the city discover ‘the next boxing hero.’

“Dizon, who chairs the committee on housing, also wants the sports commission to expand its boxing program and include the urban poor and resettlement areas.

“Cebu City hopes to discover a new breed of good boxing fighters in the mold of the Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao from our city’s barangays, said Dizon in his resolution.

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Among the news features that saw print in this paper this year, this one by UP Mass Comm intern Rachel Mae Sarmiento has got the best hook in its lead paragraph:

“MANNY Pacquiao is tough, compact and sweet. Manny Pacquiao has 6.8 percent cholesterol, 7.6 percent protein, 6.4 percent carbohydrates and 3.7 percent calcium, plus iron, niacin and vitamin E. Truly, Manny Pacquiao is good for your health.”

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PAMUHUAN Festival in Pinamungajan is one celebration that will be a subject of future debates, at least among the town’s residents and history buffs, as to whether it authentically represents the town’s origins.

If tradition is to be followed, ‘bunga’ is the root word of Pinamungajan, not “pamuo,” as the festival suggests. It’s “bunga” to the town’s old folks and thugs, fish vendors, the naughty barber across the church plaza, even the parish priest who has spent more than half of his life hearing the confessions of the town’s sinners.

It’s “bunga” to the natives.

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Please, please, stop dissing Manny Pacquiao for his gambling and womanizing. He’s just a child. Ask his friend Erik.

I promise this won’t be another Pacquiao-Barrera piece. A Pacquiao victory was so expected that it was boring. In fact, the excitement in that match began and ended with the singing of the three national anthems, Mexico’s, the US’ and ours. And that’s the reason I waited for the fight. I wanted to verify reports that our pop singers are lobbying for a shorter version of Lupang Hinirang, one that goes straight to “ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo” after the opening line.

But I was frustrated because RnB princess Kyla failed to do a Christian Bautista Part 2. It was a boxing match. I was in a mean mood. I wanted to see people drop dead at the ring, if not from killer punches, at least from embarrassment. I heard Pacquiao had orders from Malacañang to hit Kyla with a left if she missed a line.

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