A Celebration in Gensan

For boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee, it was a day to celebrate with friends, family and fans in his hometown of General Santos City.

There were four reasons for the merry-making. First was the baptism of Mary Divine Grace, the Pacquiaos’ third child and first daughter.  Second was the blessing of their new P40 million mansion on NLSA Road. Third was Pacquiao’s 28th birthday. And fourth was his sensational third round knockout over Erik Morales in Las Vegas last November 18, signaling his rise to global prominence as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

At 10 a.m. last December 17, the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage parish church on Laurel East Avenue began to fill up. There were 12 babies to be baptized by Fr. Vic Supranes, a vicar assigned by parish priest Fr. Luis Fuentespina for the christening. The star of the show was clearly Mary Divine Grace or Princess as Pacquiao fondly calls her.

One by one, Princess’ godparents arrived, creating a slight commotion in the church as some eager fans rushed to take photos of the celebrities, including actor Rudy Fernandez and comedian Bayani Agbayani. 

Princess’ godparents were, in the order they appeared in the baptismal invitation, ABS-CBN chairman Gabby Lopez (who came with network executives Charo Santos-Concio and Monchet Olives), Jinkee’s twin sister Janet, Gov. Chavit Singson, Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia, San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang, appliance store owner Joaquin Yuong (with wife Victoria), businessman-sportsman Hermie Esguerra, Benjie Lim, megastar Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan, Tony Antonio, the country’s No. 1 commercial endorser and top game show host Kris Aquino-Yap, Thunder Energy Drink owner Jeffrey Mangali, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Emily Uy, Ali Atienza, Angelie Reyes, Rudy Fernandez, Pacquiao’s chief of staff Jayke Joson (with wife Tricia), Rep. Miles Roces, lawyer Franklin (Jeng) Gacal, Solar Entertainment chairman Wilson Tieng (with Solar president William Tieng, chief operating officer Peter Chanliong and events organizer Rico Arce), Salvador Dumago, actor Willie Revillame, Mon Dizon, Agbayani and movie producer Mommy Rose Flaminiano.

Planing in from the U.S. the day before to attend the rites were Pacquiao’s manager Shelly Finkel, trainer Freddie Roach and Billy Keane.  Finkel left Monday for New York City to be with his family in celebrating the eight-day Jewish holiday Hanukkah while Roach and Keane stayed two more days to visit Cebu on promoter Rex (Wakee) Salud’s invitation.

Others who came for the festivities were Eric and Macy Pineda, Joe and Joanna Ramos, Accel’s Willie Ortiz, Reli de Leon, Michael Koncz, Bernard Cloma and Games and Amusements Board boxing chief Dr. Nasser Cruz.

Pacquiao said his two sons, Jimuel and Michael Stephen, are just as excited to take care of Princess as he is.  "No jealousy among the kids," added Pacquiao who lovingly held Princess in his arms and fanned her during the baptismal ceremony.

Pacquiao’s wishes for Princess are for her to grow up to be a kind and responsible person, to be respectful of others and to be God-fearing.

The lunch reception for about a hundred guests was held at the Rosewood Place.

In the afternoon came the blessing of the mansion designed by architect Edgardo Gabriel and built by engineer Raoul Lachica.

It took a year to finish the seven-bedroom home at a cost of a little over P30 million, said Lachica. If you add the cost of the 2,300 square meter property, furniture, furnishings and landscaping (done by Joseph Lazaro whose clients include the Lopez and Villar families), the total would be roughly P40 million.

For the record, Pacquiao was guaranteed a purse of $3 million in his last fight against Morales.  His net take-home pay was about $1 million after deducting 30 percent for taxes and shares for his team. He also received a 50 percent slice of the net proceeds of the $17.5 million pay-per-view subscriptions.

The mansion’s overall design was described by Lachica as classic Mediterranean.  The main house has a floor area of 780 square meters with eight bathrooms and a powder room. The spacious, 130-square meter master’s bedroom has a receiving area which could be a bedroom in itself. 

A long winding stairway connects the living room to the second floor where each of the three children has a bedroom. The living room opens to the dining room which looks into the kitchen.  On the wall of the living room is a collage of black-and-white photographs showing Pacquiao in action, arranged in three long frames by Jun de Leon.

"Manny and Jinkee were involved in the design from the start," said Lachica.  "For instance, Jinkee wanted a grand, winding stairway with a cathedral ceiling and Manny wanted his bedroom to be like a Wynn Hotel suite."

Cloma, a close friend of the Pacquiaos, said his favorite is Princess’ bedroom with Little Mermaid characters sketched on the walls. He said Jinkee’s favorite is the reflection room, beside the library, where the couple meditates for daily prayers. 

"Manny and Jinkee never forget to thank the Lord for His blessings," said Cloma. "They pray a lot.  In the reflection room, there’s a kneeler for both of them, a Bible and religious statues."

A lanai and a swimming pool shaped like a boxing glove separate the main house from a 320-square meter, two-storey structure at the back where Lachica built a studio, gameroom with two Brunswick billiard tables, a gym and a sauna. Under the second level is a seven-car garage. A balcony outside the master’s bedroom overlooks the entertainment area which also has a small kiddie pool.

Lachica, 48, said during the peak of construction, about 150 workers were at the job site. A Mapua graduate, Lachica was employed at the packaging products division of San Miguel Corp. for 10 years before moving full-time into construction. He specializes in townhouse development and homes in gated communities.

Lachica was introduced to the Pacquiaos by Joson.  He seems to be a lucky charm of sorts because all of Pacquiao’s fights he has watched were resounding victories, including the two knockouts over Morales.

 That night, ABS-CBN staged a variety show at the Lagao Gym where Jinkee and Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia sang. Dominic Ochoa and Agbayani hosted the jam-packed event which also featured Andrew E.

Pacquiao was surrounded by well-wishers the whole day in a fitting tribute to a living national hero.