Manny Page #2

"No, we didn't see the group."

The army left and after maybe,

twenty to thirty minutes,

500 meters from our house...

[GUNFlRE]

l saw the army

cut the head of the rebel.

l was five years old.

We decided to go down

and live in the town,

which is Sarangani.

ln the town, the first time,

l saw a car and

l'm so scared of the car.

l said, "Oh, what is that?"

Then, the jeepney,

and the tricycle,

everytime that they pass,

and l'm hiding because l don't know

what is that.

[BLOWS WHlSTLE]

The television, you know,

l was so amazed because,

you know,

l saw people in the, what is it,

in the screen

and l go,

you know, at the back

of the television and looking for,

you know, there's

a lot of people there.

[CHUCKLES]

l go, like, this is the TV, here...

This is the TV, and l go like this.

Looking for people.

NARRATOR:
: Manny dropped out of school

in the sixth grade.

Going hungry week in and week out,

he sold warm donuts on the street

to survive.

He would go without eating

so his mother or siblings could eat.

By age 1 2, Manny had become

the man of the family.

No longer able to afford

to live on their own,

his family was forced to move in

with Manny's uncle.

[CROWlNG]

[SARDO SPEAKlNG FlLlPlNO]

Manny was the first person l trained.

Even without shoes, he jogged.

And l saw in him, his passion.

l also saw they didn't have money

to send him to school.

That's why l trained him.

These were the first gloves Manny used

when l started to teach him boxing.

When he used them...

...he was only 1 2 years old.

These are the memories...

...that he will never forget.

MANNY:
One Sunday, he registered me

for the boxing match at the park.

Thank God I won the fight.

I made 100 pesos

which is about $2.

I keep on fighting and

I was always winning.

There was a tournament,

the Mindanao Open.

For one week, I fought every day.

I won on Monday,

then came Tuesday, I won again.

Then on Wednesday,

I fought for the bronze medal.

Thursday, I won for the silver,

then on Saturday,

I won the gold medal.

NARRATOR:
Manny couldn't fight for $2

purses the rest of his life.

He had to leave his family

to help them.

At age 1 3, he stowed away on

a three day long boat ride to Manila.

He had no money and no food.

[DlONESlA SPEAKlNG FlLlPlNO]

lt was Manny and l...

The two of us looked for ways

to get out of poverty.

l was really surprised

l received a letter saying,

"l'm already in Manila mom."

l cried.

But Manny said, "lf l asked for

permission to go to Manila

you will never permit it."

"l'm sorry mom but

l'm earning a living here...

...so we can get out of our poverty."

"My perseverance isn't just for me...

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