Manny as global Pinoy symbol

There’s a new backer in WBO welterweight champion and the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao’s corner. LBC Express, the largest international Filipino cargo and courier company, is joining the Pacman bandwagon in a big way with the new partnership a long time coming.

“LBC has always been there for Pacquiao through fight advertising sponsorships in the Philippines,” said senior vice president for marketing Javi Mantecon. “Now, we are again supporting Pacquiao against (Juan Manuel) Marquez but this time, LBC will be there inside the ring when they finally square off. Like LBC, Pacquiao delivers with speed.”

LBC’s logo will be prominently placed in Pacquiao’s fighting trunks when he stakes his WBO crown against the Mexican known as “Dinamita.” Mantecon will be at ringside cheering for the Filipino icon in Las Vegas on Nov. 12.

How LBC got intimately involved with Pacquiao came almost by accident. “It was during LBC’s recent staging of Ronda Pilipinas,” related LBC’s hard-working media specialist Jocel de Guzman. “We went through Vigan in our ninth leg to Baguio and Gov. Chavit (Singson) suggested why not involve the Congressman in the next Ronda with a route through General Santos City and Sarangani.” The idea came across like a lightning bolt. 

Before long, Mantecon and an LBC team visited Pacquiao in his Baguio City training camp. The connection was a natural. Pacquiao was aware of LBC’s support for cycling through the revival of a nation-wide tour and even shared a little-known secret about his boyhood during his meeting with the LBC visitors.

“Congressman Manny related how as a boy selling pandesal in General Santos City, he rode a bike and felt that’s how he developed strong legs which have helped him in his boxing career,” said De Guzman. “Through Ronda Pilipinas, Congressman Manny hopes to show his support to our Filipino riders.”

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The revival of a nation-wide tour broke an absence of over 10 years. “There have been tours in Luzon but not on a national scale for a long time,” said De Guzman. “LBC couldn’t be a more fitting partner for a nation-wide cycling tour. We put up a P70 Million budget for Ronda Pilipinas and ran 12 legs in 16 days starting in Cagayan de Oro and finishing at the Luneta. We brought in 96 riders and 16 teams. We gave out P7 Million in cash prizes, including P1 Million for the top team and P1 Million for the grand champion.”

As it turned out, Eastern Pangasinan’s Santy Barnachea topped the individual category with Nueva Ecija’s Joel Calderon finishing second and 19-year-old George Oconer third. American Vinyl/LPGMA took the team honors with 7-11 at second and Tarlac at third.

De Guzman said LBC gave its all-out support to the grand revival. Martin Bruin, a former Tour de France chief referee, reprised the role for Ronda Pilipinas as LBC delivered a strong message that it was a no-nonsense tour. De Guzman noted that American triathlete Chris Allison, an American, has been tapped to assemble a team of young and promising riders led by Oconer for exposure in overseas tours as a major step in raising the Filipinos’ level of competitiveness. 

In Baguio, the LBC team filmed interviews with Pacquiao, Freddie Roach, Buboy Fernandez, Alex Ariza and training team discovery Marlon (Tyson) Somodio.

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“We shot over an hour of footage, showing Congressman Manny in training, playing basketball and talking about his coming fight,” said De Guzman. “Congressman Manny mentioned that while he’s got nothing to prove against Marquez, he’s out to win convincingly because this is personal. Buboy spoke about an incident where he had to send a package from General Santos City to Los Angeles within two days some years ago and LBC did it for him. The package was addressed to Bob Arum.”

Fernandez was shown on TV wearing an LBC cap at ringside during Pacquiao sparmate Jorge Linares’ recent fight against Antonio de Marco at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Is he in line for an endorsement contract? A source said it wouldn’t be far-fetched. 

De Guzman said LBC is producing 12 one-minute episodes for internet viewing to establish its support of Team Pacquiao. The first two episodes are now accessible.

“Congressman Manny represents the global Filipino which LBC has been serving for 61 years now,” said De Guzman. “Buboy represents the homeland Filipino and that’s why the relationship is so appropriate and real.”

To extend its support further, LBC is sponsoring free live airing of the Pacquiao-Marquez fight in selected stadiums and theaters in 10 sites all over the country for customers, affiliates and partners. The sponsorship will dovetail LBC’s promotion of its virtual pre-paid “send and swipe” credit card, the LBC Remit Express which enables the owner to receive deposits and pay bills using the same plastic. Owners may use the card to take out cash from ATM machines or purchase goods or services without transmitting actual cash.