Home is the Hero

LOS ANGELES – Manny Pacquiao will have very little or no time at all to rest when he sets foot at the Centennial Airport early today, nearly a week after he rocked the boxing world with a sensational knockout win over Erik Morales in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao was scheduled to board a Philippine Airlines jet Wednesday evening at the Los Angeles International Airport for a 12-hour journey back home. He will fly home with his wife Jinkee and some members of Team Pacquiao who’ve been with him since he started training here on Dec. 3.

A lot of fans actually waited long here at the Los Angeles airport to get even a glimpse of the Filipino boxing icon but got disappointed when told that he was already in the plane using a secret route.

It turned out that Pacquiao was just hiding somewhere and it was just a ploy to shoo away the crowd who have grown thick and started to create a commotion in the check-in area. But when Pacquiao showed up in the boarding section, his fellow passengers broke into a wild applause.

The plane carrying Pacquiao is expected to land in Manila before five in the morning. Though most of his countrymen are still in bed at that time, a warm welcome is still expected for the returning hero.

"I was told that members of the Presidential Security Group will be there to fetch me," said Pacquiao, who under darkness will be brought to the Hyatt Hotel in a convoy complete with motorcycle escorts.

Pacquiao will definitely have his hands full even when he is checked in at one of the hotel suites. Early in the morning, probably after breakfast, he will be brought to Malacañang for a short meeting with the President.

The rest of the day won’t be a walk in the park either for Pacquiao since he has to go to The Fort in Taguig Rizal for some sort of welcome ceremony. Then later in the afternoon and heading into the night, a party has been laid out along Roxas Blvd. near the Baywalk Area.

"Grabe ang schedule. Walang tigil ito," said Pacquiao Wednesday evening here in LA where he went shopping with his wife Jinkee and some close friends.

Pacquiao will spend probably a day more or two in Manila before he flies home to Gen. Santos City where an even bigger welcome awaits him. There he will be reunited with the rest of the family, including his two young kids whom he hasn’t seen for almost two months now.

"Halos walang pahinga ito. Puro celebration," said Pacquiao.

After all’s been through, Pacquiao said he might bring his family to Hong Kong early next month. Then he also plans to bring his kids back here in March when his brother Bobby is scheduled to fight.

"Siguro doon lang ako talaga makaka-bakasyon. Kasama ang mga bata. Magdi-Disneyland kami," said Pacquiao.

He just can’t wait for that.