Manny Pacquiao Uses Prize Money From Bradley Bout to Help Filipino Flood Victims
Manny Pacquiao may have lost his fight to Timothy Bradley recently, but he is using the money obtained from the bout to help Filipino flood victims with their loss.
Pacquiao, 33-year-old Filipino professional boxer and congressman, donated the money he made from the Bradley fight to his constituents in Sarangani, Philippines, who lost their homes after flash floods ravished the area. The boxer cut a California vacation with his family short to arrive in the Philippines with the help of 20 vehicles that distributed cash and rice to victims.
The pugilist told Inquirer.net about his decision to spend his personal finances on the people in his country.
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"All these are coming from my personal pockets," Pacquiao said. "My gifts for you from the proceeds of my recent fight with Timothy Bradley."
Pacquiao, a Sarangani Representative, flew into General Santos City on Father's Day in an attempt to help his people. While the congressman did not get to spend Father's Day with his family, he said his children received an explanation for his absence.
"I told my children I have to rush home to help the people in my district," Pacquiao told Inquirer.net. "This is part of my responsibility as a public servant."
Although Pacquiao said he may stay in Sarangani for three to five days, he acknowledged that cutting his family vacation short was worth his mission.
"I just cut short my family vacation to help my constituents who were affected by the calamity," he told Inquirer.
The pugilist told the publication that he was willing to use his own money while taking the trip, because "government bureaucracy grinds so slow."
While Pacquiao is known for his boxing skills worldwide, the congressman said that his political role is equally important. Before the the town of Glan in Sarangani was declared to be under a state of calamity due to the flooding of several villages last week, the boxer said he was passionate about improving the lives of his constituents.
"The province of Sarangani, which I represent, is still without a hospital. That is not right, and I cannot rest until my province gets the funds to build one," Pacquiao said in an ESPN report. "Human trafficking is an abomination, and I will not rest until it ceases. And finally, I have dedicated my life to spreading the lessons of the Bible."
