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No myth here: On Super Bowl Sunday, can domestic violence be far behind?
By Cristina DC Pastor I was dredging my chicken wings in flour when I checked my laptop and noticed what looked like an urgent message that has been sitting on my Facebook screen. “I’m looking for a divorce lawyer, know anyone?” my friend wrote. This friend loves to kid around with me so I thought […]
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SO JANNELLE! For Pacquiao, a legacy beyond the world titles: ‘To be remembered as a true role model’
By Jannelle So All he aspired for was to be a boxing champion in the Philippines. But after two decades of his reign in the ring, Manny Pacquiao has become known far and wide as a world record-holder, the first and only eight-division world champion with an impressive 10 world titles. “I never thought that […]
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Poignant film explores Manny Pacquiao’s deep connection with followers, family and Faith
By John Sapida Amid recent talks of a possible Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is the release of “Manny,” a documentary about the career of the charismatic “Pride of the Philippines,” Manny Pacquiao. The documentary depicts Pacquiao’s rags-to-riches story and how he quit school in South Cotabato to become a boxer and now a legendary champion with eight […]
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The arrogance of Manny Pacquiao: ‘I don’t just sit around making laws’
By Cristina DC Pastor Boxing great Manny Pacquiao strode into the airy Upper East Side residence of the Consul General trailed by almost everyone. He wore a gray linen suit in plaid that made him stand out like a really special person. The event was the post-holiday party for the Fil-Am Press Club hosted by […]
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Pacquiao’s relationships with Jinkee, Mommy Dionesia crucial to his struggle (Part 2)
By Cristina DC Pastor The FilAm (TF): Is “Manny” your first film? Ryan Moore (RM): “Manny” is my first feature film. I started making short films when I was a kid. I got a hold of my dad’s camera when I was a young boy and we created stop motion animation videos using my Voltron […]
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Director Ryan Moore: Navigating Pacquiao’s layers of entourage felt like a ‘covert operation’ (Part 1)
By Cristina DC Pastor Manny Pacquiao’s life is now in a documentary feature film, but as Filipino American director Ryan Moore would find out after five years of filming: the boxing legend’s erratic schedule and multiple layers of entourage presented the biggest hurdle. “Tracking down Manny and staying on top of his schedule is like […]
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LeBron James has made the journey; now he wants to go home
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Speaking about “Changing America,” the landscape on sports figures has been changing, thanks to top stars’ decisions sparked by their respective termination contracts outside their official hometowns and residences. LeBron James, until lately, one of the superheroes of the Miami Heat that won two championships in four years (led by […]
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Justin Manjares: Selling lacrosse to basketball-crazy Filipinos
A Long Island man is on a mission to grow the sport of lacrosse in the Philippines. Justin Manjares, 31, of Dix Hills is working with a New York team to raise awareness about the sport in a country that worships basketball and where almost every neighborhood block has a hoop. Justin, who is director […]
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The faith of Manny Pacquiao
By Elton Lugay When Manny Pacquiao said he wants to fight “to give glory to God,” I had trouble understanding at first what he truly meant. In the morning before the Pacquiao-Bradley fight of April 12, a group of about 30 of the congressman’s closest friends and family gathered in his penthouse suite in Mandalay […]