More on Pacquiao-Morales bout

There’s no doubt about it. The entire nation watched Pacman Manny Pacquiao’s bout with Mexican Erik Morales. So engrossed were Pinoys with the fight that they virtually overlooked all talks of coups and the many problems of the country. Why, some even forgot their prayers temporarily.

At Bacolod’s Libertad Market, several vendors stopped selling the whole morning of Sunday just so they could watch the fight on a giant television screen set up by the city government. Over at the City Hall, thousands crowded the Justice Fountain just to catch a glimpse of their "adopted brother" Manny beat Morales to his knees.

Well, it took community leaders a long time to convince Pacquiao fans to resume their prayers during the monthly Neo-Catechumenial community One of Bata at the Henares family residence. The TV watchers, which included some of the women devotees, begged for time to see the fight to the end.

Strange, because earlier we already had news from radio flash reports of the fight’s ending — the technical knockout of Morales. This was in the form of jubilant shouts from the crowd along Lacson Street. It was quite a distance from the Henares residence, but we heard the crowd shout with joy when Pacquiao was announced the winner at the 10th round when Morales was already unable to stand up after that wicked right on the head from Pacquiao.

At home, my grandson Commie Varona, daughter Maté and my youngest son Jay texted from Manila the fight’s result. Of course, by that time, we already knew about it ourselves. But Commie was just like any other Filipino. He could not contain his jubilation over Pacquiao’s victory after he had earlier expressed fears that Morales may beat Pacquiao.

But the message Pacquiao finally put out was: Let us unite as one to push our country forward. That, hopefully, can make people rally around the flag the same way that they had rallied behind their "national hero."

Bacolodnons, to a large extent, found themselves just as enthusiastic about Pacman. He had been officially been declared "adopted son" of Bacolod by Mayor Evelio Leonardia. The latter, had gone to Las Vegas, purportedly courtesy of Pacquiao, to see the "adopted son of Bacolod" win.

So with Rep. Monico Puentevella and many other Bacolodnons, including Visayan Daily STAR editor-in-chief Ninfa Leonardia.

Both Bacolod and Bago cities have always prided themselves as producers of the country’s best boxers. So with Negros Occidental. That was one reason why there was widespread enthusiasm for the bout that even matrons and spouses of the Bacolod menfolks joined their husbands in cheering for Pacman.

In Iloilo City and other Western Visayas provinces, the same was the scene Sunday. Everybody either had eyes trained on TV sets or ears tuned in to radio sets.

Hopefully, all these rumors of coups and resignations or impeachment of President Arroyo will go away and the nation unite as one to propel the country toward a more dynamic economic and social transformation. Therein lies the major point of Pacquiao’s victory.

As pointed out by ABS-CBN, millions of Filipinos abroad were also viewing the games. Hopefully, they got the message that one must sacrifice to be able to attain progress.

His triumph and the big purse could also spell the end of Pacquiao unless he learned how to cope with the adulation that will be showered on him by supporters, fans and family as well as friends.

But Sultan Kudarat Gov. Manny Pinol was one of the few who put in the good word — invest your earnings because your time is limited as a boxer. And, as Pinol pointed out, Manny seems to have heeded that caution. Otherwise, the famed boxer could end up the way many others before him had gone — drowned out by fame and favors showered on him.

Rounds of celebration and drinking could destroy the boxing hero. And that is what he should guard against. Celebrations of his triumph could be the downfall of Pacquiao unless he displays the same self-discipline he displayed during his preparation for his last bout.

Therein lies the lesson for Pacquiao and all of us. We, Filipinos have a penchant for celebrations and hardly learn when to stop. As evidenced by the many fiestas we celebrate every year. Life is not celebrated all the time.

World sugar prices surge by 17.15 cents

uis Tongoy, chairman of the Panay-Negros chapter of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (Confed) yesterday told me he was astonished at the few people who were at the wake of Talisay City Mayor Anthony Lizares Sunday. Majority were viewing the televised bout of Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales.

But most sugar producers also overlooked one thing. The climb of world sugar prices to 17.15 cents per pound. It seems that hedge funds and major organizations, not only traders, were buying sugar.

That’s the most important development in the world sugar trade. It’s no longer just the commodity brokers who were hungrily scooping up sugar.

But, as pointed out by the business wire services, this is the Inter-harvest period in Brazil, the world’s biggest supplier of sugar. In short, this is the time — from December to May — when there is no milling sugar.

Thus, with Brazil earlier declaring a drop in production of three million metric tons, there’s nothing that can be exported by the Latin American country. That was because rains hit the South-Central areas of that country early last month, precluding further harvests.

This is what prompted Reynaldo Bantug, national president of Confed, to urge producers to produce more sugar with the possibility that their excess produce can be exported to the world market aside from their conversion into ethanol as alternative energy.

There were even predictions that sugar prices in the world market may hit the 20 cents mark before February.

Tongoy, an Internet enthusiast, pointed out that WTO mandates to cut the European sugar subsidies and let sugar prices seek its true level. This prompted the European Union to declare recently that their exportable sugar will drop to just 1.5 million metric tons from the previous five million.

Thailand also reported a production drop and prompted the government to crack down on sugar smuggling. China, too, had released its state reserve to the domestic market. And Mexico, too, has been talking about problems with its NAFTA agreement with the United States. The last time it failed to supply the request for more sugar from the US which had twice raised its import quota post the havoc caused to the US sugar industry by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Even now, there are reports that US consumer groups are demanding for additional imports to address the sugar shortage in the US.

Domestic price swing up

Perception of a tightening of supply by the end of the milling season may have also prompted traders to position themselves for that eventuality. This may account for the continuing upswing of domestic millgate sugar prices. On Thursday, it jumped from P1,130 to P1,205 per Lkg. for "B" or domestic sugar and "A" prices range from P1,070 to slightly higher.

But Bobby Sabino, one of the authorities on sugar, pointed out that the widespread rejoicing over increased millgate prices may have made most overlook the increased input costs. Thus, it may just have made up for it.

That was the same point by Joebert Cuaycong who said the increases in fuel prices plus fertilizer cost may just have enabled producers to realize that the gains they have realized from increased sugar cost per Lkg. may just have been gobbled up by increases in the cost of inputs.

That prompted Bantug to advice producers to produce more, but also to make sure that they cut down the unit cost of sugar.

The rising world market price of sugar, Bantug pointed out, will enable producers to ship out excess sugar production.

Bantug also urged the Philippine Sugar Research Foundation (Philsurin) to study not only how to improve production per unit but also to cut down on production cost. He also said it is imperative for Philsurin to study whether the present sugarcane high-yielding varieties are suited for ethanol production.

The Confed official stressed that the situation has changed drastically. Now, he said, sugarcane is equated with energy and sugar as a possible by-product. It is an entirely new ballgame we are witnessing, Tongoy added.

ADDENDA. Negros Oriental provincial treasurer Danilo Mendez motu propio dispatched investigators to a town to investigate the alleged failure of the town treasurer to account for almost P1 million in government funds. He refused to name the treasurer, although he added that he suspects the involvement of some municipal officials in the reported irregularity….Meanwhile, the Silliman University will present the Ballet Manila featuring renowned Ballerina Lisa Macuja in "Carmen and Other Ballets" on Jan. 27 and 28. Venue for the cultural presentation will be the Luce Auditorium in Dumaguete City…In Estancia, (Iloilo) policemen seized 70 sacks of ammonium nitrate, a chemical component in making explosives while being transferred from a delivery truck to a motorboat in Barangay Julog. Estancia police chief Edwin Baylon, said five crew members of MB Patrick were also rounded up by his men for questioning. These were boat skipper George de la Cruz, with crewmen Regan Belsa, Edgar de la Cruz, Stephen and Mark Anthony de la Cruz. All are from Carles, Iloilo. They suspected that the shipment were delivered in some island barangays of Carles….There is another major killing in Panay. New People’s Army gunmen allegedly killed a team leader of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) in Leon town. The victim is 50-year-old Rufino Cadugo, alias "Ka Rocky", of Tubungan, Iloilo. He succumbed to several gunshot wounds. He is reportedly Ka Hugo, RPA-ABB commander in Iloilo.