Friday, February 18, 2022

Mobile Legends: Eyes on the elusive title for Onic PH

Angela Coloma, ABS-CBN News


Since they entered the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League, Onic PH has fallen short of winning the title locally, and recently, globally. 


In Seasons 4 and 5, they've fallen short of the local championship, and it was the same in Season 8, and in the M3 world championship last December, where they lost to Blacklist International.


After avenging that M3 finals loss on Friday with a 2-1 win, the architects of the "banana split" strategy said they had their eyes on winning the title. 


"Gusto na namin mag-number 1 sa MPL season and magpatuloy sa lakas namin na mag-dominate hanggang playoffs at mag-champion," Onic PH star jungler Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdesol, who took the MVP honors, said after the match. 


But for team captain Allen "Baloyskie" Baloy, their conquest doesn't stop in winning the local title.


"Gusto ko patunayan na hindi lang namin [kayang] mag-runner up hindi lang sa Pilipinas kung di sa ibang bansa," Baloyskie said. 


Onic PH will square off with Nexplay EVOS next on Sunday's first game at 4 p.m. 


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/mpl-season-9-its-eyes-on-the-elusive-title-for-onic-ph

Mobile Legends: Eyes on the elusive title for Onic PH

Since they entered the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League, Onic PH has fallen short of winning the title locally, and recently, globally. 


In Seasons 4 and 5, they've fallen short of the local championship, and it was the same in Season 8, and in the M3 world championship last December, where they lost to Blacklist International. 


After avenging that M3 finals loss on Friday with a 2-1 win, the architects of the "banana split" strategy said they had their eyes on winning the title. 


"Gusto na namin mag-number 1 sa MPL season and magpatuloy sa lakas namin na mag-dominate hanggang playoffs at mag-champion," Onic PH star jungler Kairi "Kairi" Rayosdesol, who took the MVP honors, said after the match. 


But for team captain Allen "Baloyskie" Baloy, their conquest doesn't stop in winning the local title.


"Gusto ko patunayan na hindi lang namin [kayang] mag-runner up hindi lang sa Pilipinas kung di sa ibang bansa," Baloyskie said. 


Onic PH will square off with Nexplay EVOS next on Sunday's first game at 4 p.m. 


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/mpl-season-9-its-eyes-on-the-elusive-title-for-onic-ph

MMA: Fil-Am Mark Striegl vows to bounce back from UFC debut loss

Mathew Scott, South China Morning Post


Bantamweight returns to cage to fight American Chas Skelly at UFC Vegas 48


It took more than a decade for Philippine-based bantamweight Mark Striegl to get his first fight in the UFC. It took exactly 51 seconds for it to end.


But if all those years in the cage have taught the 33-year-old one thing it’s you take your setbacks much like your successes in that your attention quickly switches to the next challenge.


“Definitely not the way I wanted to debut but life can be a roller coaster, especially in the sport that is MMA. It’s actually even crazier in MMA,” says Striegl. “So I just took that loss in my stride, focused on the positives and chalked it all up to life experience. At the end of the day it’s all part of the journey.”


The 33-year-old Striegl (18-3, one no contest) returns to the Octagon this weekend to face American Chas Skelly (18-3, one no contest) on the UFC Vegas 48 card out of the organisation’s Apex facility. The bout adds another chapter to what has been a wild ride across the past two years, one that has showcased the highs and lows of the sport, as much as it has life shadowed by the global pandemic.


There was the joy of being lifted out of regional promotions and being offered a UFC contract, in mid-2020. Then there was a positive Covid-19 test that ruled out Striegl’s scheduled debut in August of that year. There was that loss to Said Nurmagomedov (15-2), a fight the Russian ended with a short left, and a flurry when Striegl hit the canvas, in just under a minute. Then there was recovery from the damage inflicted as Striegl had his battered orbital socket rebuilt.


Striegl was back in the gym and ready to roll again in 2021 only to hurt himself in training And so the wait for a fight began once again.


“People talk about UFC jitters, but I felt okay before that first fight. It felt like just another fight to me,” Striegl said. “I was just happy that I was there and now it’s just been a case of waiting to get back in there and fight again. Sure I’ve had setbacks but that is all part of the game.”


Little wonder that the Striegl saga has been picked up by local broadcasters in the Philippines, and a three-part documentary that follows all the drama has been screening nationwide over the past month. Striegl is the only fighter on the UFC books to be based full-time out of the Philippines, a remarkable notion in itself given the country’s rich history in combat sports, and a population that lives and breathes the stuff.


There’s colour, too, in the fact that for more than a decade Striegl has been based out of in Baguio City, the famed mountain retreat on the northern island of Luzon that in the past has hosted Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and his brutal pre-fight training camps. It’s a city that echoes with the history of combat, dating right back to the 1700s when the local tribesmen took on the invading Spanish colonialists, and they were never fully conquered.


The Tokyo-born Striegl first came to Baguio for a fight – against one of the warriors from the local Team Lakay MMA talent factory – and he then fell in love with a local lass, and the city.


“I’m not a local son of Baguio but definitely I love the culture,” explains Striegl. “The people from Baguio are strong, proud mountain people. I had heard about Manny Pacquiao training there, and that the city had all these great fighters, and all this history. I feel I definitely have a lot of pride for Baguio. I’m happy living there and proud that I live there.”


With the memory of the loss to Nurmagomedov now consigned to history, Striegl is looking forward to giving the fans at home something to cheer at the UFC Apex this weekend.


“Chas is a scrapper,” says Striegl, who’s been training out of George Castro’s MMA Lab in Peoria, Arizona, for the past month. “He’s just a scrappy, hard-nosed veteran fighter. And that’s what I expect out of him. I think it’s gonna be a tough dogfight, and I’m ready for that. I’ve trained hard for that. I think Chas is a great person to test my skills against and I like how we match up with him.”


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/mma-mark-striegl-vows-to-bounce-back-from-ufc-debut-loss

CELEBRITY TOP 10 FEB. 18, 2022

FIBA 3X3 tour 2022 to hold stops in Manila, Cebu

FIBA has announced its 3x3 World Tour 2022 which includes Manila and Cebu among its stops this year.


FIBA will hold the Manila Masters on May 28-29 after opening the world tour in Utsunomiya, Japan on May 14-15.


After 5 events, the Tour will be heading to Cebu for a 3x3 event to be stages on October 1-2.


The Tour will end with its finals in Abu Dhabi on December 9-10.


There will be a total of 13 FIBA 3x3 events in 2022. 


FIBA said a first list of international qualifiers (challengers) will be released in March.


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/fiba-3x3-tour-2022-to-hold-stops-in-manila-cebu

Olympics: China's long, strange Olympic hockey trip ends, next stop uncertain

Martin Quin Pollard and Tony Munroe, Reuters


BEIJING - China's unlikely Olympic ice hockey journey, one of the biggest curiosities of the Beijing Games, ended with four losses in four matches, temporary citizenships, and an uncertain future.


The home team relied entirely on a roster of players from the Kunlun Red Star franchise in Russia's top league and its core of 15 foreign-born players. They logged almost all of the ice time and kept the team competitive, but fuelled constant questions about their citizenship, which they mostly avoided.


Foreign players were asked to apply to become Chinese citizens in time for the Olympics and given assurances that paperwork would be taken care of, two of them said, but at least one player said he did not have to give up his passport.



Now, Chinese authorities and Kunlun Red Star, owned by a Hong Kong energy billionaire, must decide how much more to invest in a national side that is ranked 32nd globally in a bid to qualify in four years for the 12-team Olympic tournament, presumably with more home-grown talent.


Their Olympic duties over, several players told Reuters they don't know exactly what's next for Kunlun, which plays in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).


"From what I've heard, we plan on continuing the programme and we're going to be making a push to keep growing the game in China and help China move up the world rankings," said California-born Cory Kane, who joined Kunlun five years ago as a "heritage" player - he has Chinese roots through his mother.


"But they haven't confirmed anything on where exactly we'll be playing, or if they're going to be playing in the KHL or not," he told Reuters after scoring both China goals in the 7-2 loss on Tuesday night to Canada that ended its tournament.


Chinese sports officials did not respond to requests for comment and Kunlun Red Star declined to comment.


Kunlun has had a turbulent run since its founding in 2016 by Hong Kong-based Billy Ngok, soon after Beijing won its bid to host the Olympics.


In March 2017, Kunlun signed a "China Ice Hockey 2022 plan" with China's General Sports Administration to develop and help produce a Chinese team. The Olympics and an automatic place as hosts were in its sights.


Ngok could not be reached for comment.


HOCKEY NOMADS


Kunlun was plagued by instability, including moving from Beijing to Shanghai, then back to Beijing, flying vast distances to compete in the far-flung KHL. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has been based in Moscow due to China's strict border controls.


There were competing strategies among club management, its mainly foreign coaches and the government-run Chinese Ice Hockey Association (CIHA), said Mark Simon, a Canadian consultant for Kunlun until early 2020.


"It's just a lot of moving parts, you know, going in different directions," he said.


Personnel turnover was high. In 2020, many Russian players were brought in for a season. This past season saw an influx of home-grown Chinese players.


"It was really wild, like there would be games where guys play really well. In the next game they would not even play because they want to play a native Chinese guy or mainland Chinese guy to get them experience playing games," said a former player who declined to be identified.


The team's performance suffered, forcing the sport's governing body to reconsider China's participation in the Olympics before finally allowing it. Kunlun has by far the worst KHL record this year.


ELIGIBILITY ISSUE


Late last year, foreign players were asked to sign documents that would enable them to become Chinese citizens for the duration of the Beijing Games, five people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.


China does not ordinarily allow dual citizenship.


One document seen by Reuters, an apparent attempt to assuage the concerns of a player, said Red Star Culture & Sports Holding Ltd in Hong Kong would handle Chinese citizenship arrangements and cover legal fees and support if he faced any legal issues around restoring his Canadian nationality after the Games.


It also said if the player gets stuck in China because of a "passport related issue" he would receive food, accommodation in Shenzhen and transport, and from Aug. 1, 2022, a coaching job until he was able to return to Canada.


The dollar value of compensation was left blank, and one former player said none of them signed it.


Several players decided to opt out of the Games.


But after what one described as "back and forth" discussion, many decided to proceed with their applications for Chinese citizenship. The player said he did not have to turn over his passport, and had not received a Chinese one.


"I was not handed it. I was told we have a Chinese passport for sport reasons, like a sport passport," he said.


China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.


The China team received an ovation from the home crowd after frustrating heavily-favoured Canada until late in its final game, and the players repeatedly expressed pride in representing China, gratitude for the opportunity and a commitment to continuing to grow hockey in the country.


Kane, 31, whose career has taken him from Ferris State University in Michigan to the North American minor leagues and the Czech Republic, said the Olympics was the highlight amid what he described as "tough times" over the last five years.


"Every year I think we had one new coach, some bad losing streaks, a lot of guys in and out of the locker room, and there's just a lot of other stuff that goes in the background, but it was all worth it," he said.


"We got here and that opening ceremony – that was crazy – probably top five moments of my life". (Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard and Tony Munroe; Additional reporting by Steve Keating; Editing by Ken Ferris)


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/chinas-strange-olympic-hockey-trip-ends

WATCH: PCSO 9 PM Lotto Draw, February 18, 2022

Huling gabi ng burol ni Dong Puno dinaluhan ng mga kaanak, kaibigan

Sa huling gabi ng burol ni Atty. Ricardo “Dong” Puno Jr. dumalaw ang kanyang mga kamag-anak, mga kaibigan, mga kaklase at mga dating nakasama sa trabaho.


Inalala ni Sandro Puno, apo ng dating senior vice president ng ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs, na sa kabila ng pagiging isang mamahayag, abogado, politician, professor, mentor, at “Viewpoint” at “Dong Puno Live” host, hindi ito nakakalimutan ang pagpapahalaga sa mga apo. 


"Yes, he was many things and wore many hats, but in our eyes, it always seemed that being a grandfather to his grandchildren was something he prioritized over everything else," ani Sandro.


"He would be present in every birthday party we had and would be there from start to finish, participating in games when we needed him to, and being there in the end as we open gifts. He would be in all our school plays seated somewhere that we could see him from the stage.


"Even in those rare times that he couldn't make it, he would be the first phone call we'd receive right after asking how everything went. Even though he was a busy man, and some of his days are packed with meetings, tapings or events, on some days he would stop by the house for even just 5 minutes, just to say hi."


Nagbahagi rin ang kaibigan at kaklaseng si Senator Richard Gordon ng kanilang pinagsamahan. 


"Dong was my first outstanding classmate, that was maybe 71 years ago. Can you imagine that? We were classmates in St. Theresa's College . . . I still have that picture and I was always impressed with Dong. Since then I always looked up to him," kuwento ni Gordon.


"Dong really was so excited always wanting to reach out, always wanting to aim higher, always working hard and proving that it's not rhetoric alone that would make you succeed, it's not your knowledge that would make you succeed it is your humanity that will make you succeed and be respected. 


"And that for me is Ricardo V. Puno, my beloved classmate of so many years, a man I will never ever forget and will always be touched of his friendship."


Kabilang sa mga dumalaw ang mag-asawang Julius Babao at Christine Bersola, dating Cainta Mayor Mon Ilagan at iba pang nakasama sa ABS-CBN news.


Sa huling bahagi ng necrological service, may ilang kaklase na sa virtual nagbahagi ng kanilang eulogy. Abala rin ang asawa, anak at mga apo ni Pungo sa pag-aasikaso sa mga bisita.


Bukas nakatakdang i-cremate si Puno pagkatapos ng 10 a.m. mass sa Heritage Park pa rin.


https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/18/22/buhay-ni-dong-puno-inalala-sa-huling-gabi-ng-burol

PBA: NLEX offsets Glover's 39-pt output, deals Blackwater's 26th straight loss

NLEX vented its ire on a hapless Blackwater side, 117-97, while arresting a 3-game slide in the PBA Governors Cup on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.


The Road Warriors, led by KJ McDaniels, were more balanced in scoring with 5 of them churning out double-digit outputs to overcome Shawn Glover's 39-point explosion for the Bossing.


McDaniels had 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Jericho Cruz led the fight for the locals with 22 markers and 5 assists.


Kris Rosales backed it up by equaling his career-high 18 points, while Kevin Alas and Don Trollano recorded 15 and 11 points, respectively.


They also took advantage of the Bossing's slow start as they dealt Blackwater its 26th straight defeat, the worst losing streak in the league.


NLEX coach Yeng Guiao said they only wanted to arrest their own slump to prevent the Road Warriors from sinking further.


"Gusto lang naming ma-break 'yung losing streak. We felt na if we lose again it would be a big hole we might not be able to come out from. So importante iyung panalo sa amin," said Guiao.


"We also felt na Blackwater is due for a win at some point. Siyempre ayaw namin na kami pa 'yung ma-biktima nila."


The Bossing's last win was actually against NLEX at the Clark bubble last year.


Glover top-scored everyone and added 15 rebounds in the process. But Mike Ayonayon and Rey Suerte were the only locals who came up with double-digit scores.


"Their import played really good basketball, very efficient," noted Guiao. "Siguro kung mayroon lang naka-suporta sa kanyang iba pang locals, we could have been in trouble." 


Box scores:


NLEX 117 – McDaniels 24, Cruz 22, Rosales 18, Alas 15, Trollano 11, Murrell 7, Quinahan 6, Nieto 4, Galanza 3, Soyud 2, Paniamogan 0, Varilla 0, Porter 0, Ighalo 0.


Blackwater 97 – Glover 39, Suerte 11, Ayonayon 11, Amer 8, McCarthy 7, Baloria 5, Escoto 4, Ebona 3, Desiderio 3, Washington 2, Ambolutdo 2, Melton 0, Chauca 0, Paras 0, Casio 0.


Quarters: 34-14; 58-41; 92-76; 117-97.


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/pba-nlex-deals-blackwaters-26th-straight-loss

FIBA Asia Cup: Gilas grouped together with New Zealand, Lebanon

Gilas Pilipinas has been clustered with New Zealand and Lebanon in the group stage competition of the FIBA Asia Cup that will happen in July.


Also joining the Philippines in Group D in India. 


The draw took place on Friday in Indonesia, which will host the tournament. 


Indonesia is clustered with Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan in Group A, while China joins Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Bahrain in Group B.


Group C is made up of Japan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Syria.


Prior to the Asian Cup, Gilas will get the chance to measure New Zealand and India in the upcoming window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers this month.


The Filipinos are slated to take on India on February 25 and New Zealand on February 27.


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/gilas-grouped-with-nz-lebanon-in-fiba-asia-cup

Pacquiao: Pinoys are poor because they elect the corrupt

Presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Friday said Filipinos are poor because people kept electing corrupt government officials.


In the continuation of his consultative campaign sorties in the province of Rizal, Pacquiao told members of the various groups of Tiangge vendors, textile workers and tricycle drivers in Brgy. San Juan and Brgy. Dolores in the town of Taytay that the country’s poverty is rooted on the systemic corruption that has pervaded in all levels of governance. 


Pacquiao said the Filipinos should wake up to the reality that the country is poor because they continue to elect leaders even if they are known to be corrupt and dishonest. 


"Gising. Gumising tayo para labanan ang katiwalian sa gobyerno. Naririnig natin ang magagandang plataporma pero wala namang nagyayari. Ito'y dahil sa korapsyon," he said.


Pacquiao listened to the stories of the vendors and tricycle drivers who have went through financial problems the past years. Their ordeal worsened when the pandemic struck.


"Ang taong nasa harapan ninyo ay nakaranas ng paghihirap tulad n'yo. Naranasan ko rin ang gutom at ang kawalan ng tirahan kaya prayoridad ko ang pabahay at pagkakaroon ng hanapbuhay para sa mahihirap," the senator said.


During the sortie, Pacquiao met 12-year-old “basahan” vendor Justin Puno. The retired boxer said he saw himself in the boy since he also started working at a very young age. 


He lamented that boys like Puno should be in school and still enjoying his life a child. 


"Noong kasing edad niya ako, nagbebenta din ako ng sari-saring paninda, tulad ng paminta, bawang, pandesal, kahit sampagita at mga bulaklak. Breadwinner kasi ako. Ang batang katulad ni Justin ay dapat nag-aaral pero dahil sa kahirapan ay napipilitang tumulong sa kanyang mga magulang," he said. 


The boxing icon decided to buy all the rags the boy was selling.


From Taytay, Pacquiao held a motorcade to the town of Cainta where he was welcomed by supporters led by Mayor Kit Nieto. 


From Cainta, Pacquiao and his team paid courtesy visits to the local government units of Binangonan and Morong before holding another consultative dialogue with various farmer organizations in Tanay.


https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/18/22/pacquiao-pinoys-are-poor-because-they-elect-the-corrupt

FIBA World Cup: Korea disbands camp after another COVID infection

The Korean national basketball team was forced to disband their camp after a player tested positive for COVID-19 even as it prepares for the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers, to be hosted by the Philippines.


This added to the woes of team coach Jo Sang-hyeon as he struggles to complete his 16-man roster for the qualifiers.


Already out from the team are Ra Gun-ah (Ricardo Ratliffe), Moon Seonggon, Lee Seonghyun, Heo Hoon, Lee Woosuk, Kim Jongkyu who all contracted the virus.


The latest case, whose name was not disclosed, forced the team to break camp.


"It's not easy to make a 12-man entry then training or understanding the opponent's record. I do not know what the situation will be in the future, so I just hope that there will be no more confirmed cases,” said Jo in Jumpball. (LINK ON JUMPBALL https://www.jumpball.co.kr/news/newsview.php?ncode=1065590397964001)


The Korean team is scheduled to fly to the Philippines in four days, but the infections might affect that.


"Currently, three or four players are showing symptoms of corona, so we are considering the case where the minimum number of 10 players to participate in the tournament cannot be filled," said Jo.


Korea is slated to battle Gilas Pilipinas on February 24, New Zealand on February 25, and India on February 27.


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/fiba-korea-disbands-camp-after-another-covid-infection

IOC chief rebukes Beijing Olympics organizers

The IOC called an immediate meeting with Chinese organizers to remind them to keep politics out of the Beijing Olympics, president Thomas Bach said Friday, after a local spokeswoman hit back at "lies" about Xinjiang.


"This problem we did not ignore," the International Olympic Committee chief said, a day after a spokeswoman for the local organizing committee, BOCOG, hit back at questions from foreign media about Taiwan and human rights in Xinjiang.


"We were in touch with BOCOG immediately after this press conference and then both organizations, BOCOG and the IOC, have restated the unequivocal commitment to remain politically neutral, as it is required by the Olympic Charter," Bach said.


The United States has led a diplomatic boycott of the Games by some Western nations over rights concerns in China, especially the fate of the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang.


Campaigners say at least one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims have been incarcerated in camps in Xinjiang, while there are also allegations of mandatory sterilizations of women and forced labor.


"These issues are irrelevant to the Winter Games, but I still feel obliged to make a quick comment again," BOCOG spokeswoman Yan Jiarong said Thursday, after foreign reporters twice asked about Xinjiang.


"The questions are based very much on lies. Some authorities have already disputed such false information with a lot of solid evidence."


China vehemently denies all allegations over its treatment of Uyghurs and maintains the camps are vocational training centers aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism.


The ethnic Uyghur skier chosen by Beijing to help light the Olympic cauldron at the Games' opening ceremony, meanwhile, rebutted claims of rights abuses Friday, telling a state-run tabloid that Western media outlets were "spreading rumors".


"If there is what the West claimed to be 'genocide' ... I would not have had the chance to appear at the Olympic Games," Global Times quoted cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang as saying.


"Choosing me as one of the torch bearers displays the truth about the harmony of the big Chinese family," the 20-year-old added.


The United States had criticized the skier's selection as an attempt to "distract" from the mistreatment of the Uyghurs.


The interview with Yilamujiang came as Human Rights Watch released a new statement saying Chinese government censorship had "seriously marred" the Beijing Games.


Yan, the BOCOG spokeswoman, was also bullish on the question of Taiwan. China claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory to be retaken one day, by force if necessary.


At all Olympic Games, athletes from Taiwan compete under the banner of "Chinese Taipei".


"This is something that we really have to take a solemn position on," Yan said, following a question about Taiwanese athletes at the Games and their attendance at Sunday's closing ceremony.


"What I want to say is that there is only one China in the world.


"Taiwan is an indivisible part of China and this is a well-recognized international principle and well recognized in the international community.


"We are always against the idea of politicizing the Olympic Games."


https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/ioc-chief-rebukes-beijing-olympics-organizers

WATCH: PCSO 5 PM Lotto Draw, February 18, 2022

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WATCH: PCSO 2 PM Lotto Draw, February 18, 2022

Pacquiao, Jinkee recall humble beginnings during Taytay visit

Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News


Presidential aspirant and senator Manny Pacquiao reminded the public about his humble beginnings during a community forum in San Juan Village in Taytay, Rizal Friday.

During the program, a 12-year old rug vendor named Justine Folo joined Pacquiao on stage. 

Pacquiao told the audience that he was about that age when he started joining street boxing matches in General Santos City where the winner received P100.

He then bought all of Folo's goods. "Pakyawin na lang natin yan," he said, drawing applause. 


Pacquiao's wife Jinkee, who joined her husband in barnstorming Rizal province, said she worked as a rice cake vendor in a mall, and later on opened an eatery to augment Pacquiao's small income as a boxer.

 

Jinkee appealed to the people to give Pacquiao a chance to become president, saying they are determined to alleviate the plight of the poor. 

She also said that she will help women should she become the next first lady of the Philippines.


Three participants - two dressmakers and a vendor -- told the boxing champion about their dreams of having their own homes and more capital for their businesses. 

Pacquiao, one of the most decorated fighters in world boxing, has made fighting corruption a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, likening corrupt officials to "cancer" in government.

In his speech, Pacquiao reiterated his disgust with corruption and vowed to imprison all corrupt government officials.

He also showed a video clip of his housing projects in Sarangani, to show the people that he can deliver on his promise to provide better housing.

Pacquiao is set to hold more community forums in Cainta and Tanay, Rizal on Friday. 

The towns of Taytay, Cainta, Binangonan and Tanay in Rizal, according to the data gathered by the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research group, represent a total of 521,866 voters. With Reuters

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