This sunday morning, (saturday night in Las Vegas) our favorite national anaesthesia will once again numb the whole country for a couple of hours. Manny Pacquiao who recently headlined on the cover of Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential people, is set to make history when he wins the 7th title in seven different weight classes. 
I consider him as the national anaesthesia because similar to medical anaesthesia, Manny has the power to render into a state of total unconsciousness the whole nation from the pressing needs of the country.
The past several days, politicians from the Philippines were boarding flights to Las Vegas to watch the show live. While they may all claim paying for their trips, the congress is not in recess at this time. I wonder how many of our congressmen are there in Las Vegas right now with their privilege seats already reserved for the much anticipated fight?
I consider Manny as the national anaesthetic because it seems that we are in the path of forgetting some of the challenges that the country is facing right now:
- still many areas in Eastern Manila and areas in Laguna are still submerged in flood waters.
- The cost of fuel is set to be raised when the Executive Order is lifted up this monday.
- 24 Filipino sailors were abducted by Somali pirates last week (and this news info hardly broke through our Las Vegas excitement)
- the highest number of starving people are now in Metro Manila. 22% of the residents in Metro Manila are going through what is called involuntary hunger.
- it will take months before our devastated farmlands up north could recover from the floodwaters.
- the warning of an impending food shortage next year caused by the P18B- damage to agricultural crops are still waiting to be addressed by the current government.
- 15 state officials including the incumbent president still needs to be charged at the Ombudsman as a result of the Senate inquiry that ended this week.
- the kidnapping of the Irish priest Sinnott still has to be resolved. While he was released, there were no concrete steps made to assure the public that proper investigation is being made at this time.
These are just some of the things that are taking a backseat just because PacMan is fighting this sunday morning. After his last fight, the President even declared a national holiday so that the country could join in the celebration over his big win.
I am still cheering for the PacMan – it would be awesome when he brings the Puerto Rican down in the similar fashion as he did Ricky Hatton. But as we cheer him on, I pray that still have our eyes wide open to the pressing needs of the country.
He is our favorite athlete – but let us not make him our favorite national anaesthesia.
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