Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

The throngs of US reporters and paparazzi who track Jinkee Pacquiao around have recently been chasing another lady - Manny’s "other woman", none other than his mother, Dionesia. Coming to America for the first time to support her son’s legendary fight with Ricky Hatton, Dionesia Pacquiao has become a celebrity herself. The slim and lively almost-sixty lady has caught the interest of the media, having been featured on TV, doing aerobics, some boxing and a little bit of ballroom dancing.

In an exclusive interview with Asian Journal for the mother’s day issue of its MDWK Magazine, Mommy Dionesia bares her mother’s heart --- her joys and fears, her hardships and triumphs.

Dionesia looks like her son Manny and she said the resemblance is not only in the physical appearance. "Nagmana sa akin si Manny - matapang. Ako ay dugong waray.

(Warays refer to people from Leyte and Samar who have built up a reputation for courage or katapangan). Kaming lahat sa pamilya -- matatapang, maski na ang mga babae," she said.

Manny’s mom admitted that her dream was to be a teacher but her parents could not afford to send her to school. She married at an early age but the marriage failed. Having separated from her husband when the children were young, Dionesia raised her six children - Lisa, Domeng, Isidra, Manny, Bobby, and Roel- by herself. "Ako ang tatay at nanay ng mga anak ko. Nag-trabaho ako sa farm. Kahit yung trabahong pang-lalake, ginagawa ko. Umaakyat pa nga ako sa puno ng niyog," she said.

The children helped out their mother, including Manny, who sold bread and took in laundry. They lived in a shanty with dirt floors, in a squatters’ area in General Santos City.

Dionesia shared how Manny got into boxing. "Nasa dugo na namin ang boxing. Dalawang lolo ni Manny, dalawang tiyuhin at isang pinsan ay puro boxers. Isang uncle niya ang talagang nag-inspire sa kanya. Actually, 12 years old pa lang siya nung napansin ko na mahilig talaga mag-boxing. Tatakpan niya ng mga basahan o t-shirt ang kamay niya tapos aayain ang mga kalaro niya na makipag-boxing sa kanya," Mommy Dionesia remembers. "Ayoko sana siyang mag-boxing dahil ayoko silang masaktan. Pero nang hindi ko na mapigilan, pinagdasal ko na lang na tulungan siya lagi ng Diyos. Sinuportahan ko siya sa gusto niya," she added.

Through all the years that Pacquiao has been fighting in the ring, Mommy Dionesia has never watched her son fight. "Natatakot akong makita na masaktan ang anak ko. Ang ginagawa ko ay nagdadasal habang siya ay nakikipaglaban. Dun sa laban nila ni Hatton, nakadapa ako sa sahig ng kwarto ko sa Mandalay Bay at nananalangin ng ganito. ‘Lord tulungan niyo po anak ko. Bigyan niyo po si Hatton ng respeto sa anak ko. Sport sana siya makipaglaban. Sana 1 or 2 rounds lang tapos na, para hindi mahirapan ang anak ko.’ At talagang hindi nga Niya ako binigo. Kaya, masayang-masaya ako," she said.

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