Presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao traces back his practice of giving money to random people since 2002 when he was still a rising international boxer.
Revealing the start of his money-giving practice in the Leadership Series of DZRH’s Special On Saturday (SOS) program, Pacquiao on November 6, was addressing the issue of the advantage the practice gives him over other candidates.
“Hindi po ito pamumulitika, ang pagbibigay ko mula pa nuon, 2002 pa lang namimigay na ako ng pera, pagkain, bigas sa mga kababayan natin na naghihirap,” said.
(This is not politics, I was giving (money) since then, in 2002 I was already giving money, food and rice to so many poor compatriots.)
He said he will stop his money-giving activities on February 8, the start of the campaign period for national candidates.
For him, he said, it is painful to see people suffer in poverty without extending help.
Pacquiao said it makes him emotional seeing people suffer in poverty because he experienced being poor before he made it big in international boxing.
He recalled that in his early teens, their life was so difficult and they were barely surviving because his father left them.
Being the eldest among the siblings, Pacquiao said, he helped his mother to survive the daily grind by selling pan de sal in the morning and ice drop in the afternoon.
