Queens Filipinos Unite Behind Boxer
By Michelle Castillo
It was four weeks since boxer Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao became the first boxer to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. But for Christ Ifill, Jonathan Villota and Kevin de la Cruz, the victory was still the main topic of conversation.
The three teenagers were grabbing a bite to eat at the Roosevelt Avenue and 62nd Street corner spot of Jollibee, the one and only New York City location for the Philippines’ leading fast food chain. Between bites of crispy fried chicken, steaming white rice and oil-drenched fries, Ifill bragged that one of his school friends said he looked like Pacquiao.
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Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao
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“He did!” said Ifill, who bears no resemblance to the champion boxer other than being Filipino himself. “He called me Pacquiao!”
Though all three youths were born and raised in America, they stated that Pacquiao has become a thread that connects them with their parents’ home country, the Philippines. Woodside’s large Filipino population embraces him as a local hero.
Pacquiao’s victories are a rare piece of good news for the community, after the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao. The boxer particularly strikes a chord among the Filipino working class. Raised by a single mother, Pacquiao fought his way out of poverty with perseverance – a story that inspires Filipino immigrants who are trying to make in Queens.
“Basically it’s like an escape, not unlike soap operas and game shows that Filipinos are addicted to right now,” said Likha Cuevas-Miel, the assistant business editor of The Manila Times,. “It’s like every single Filipino lives through Manny, an underdog who always triumphs in the end. It’s a story that resonates with all Filipinos, here and abroad, because it’s their story too.”
The Manila-born manager of the Woodside Jollibee, Angel Que, agreed. He found that the televised boxing matches elevated the spirits of the Filipino community in Woodside. Que himself said he feels a jolt of pride when he sees Pacquiao win.
“He is really a celebrity,” Que said.
While the majority of the restaurant’s customers are Filipinos who come to enjoy the sugary sweet spaghetti and rice, egg and fried meat breakfast combinations, Jollibee is popular outside the community. Que claims that there is only one rule to eat there: You have to support Pacquiao.
Since the fights are only offered on pay-per-view in the U.S., as opposed to being nationally televised in the Philippines, many Filipino restaurants in Woodside offer the fight live for little or no fee. Krystal’s, a 14-year-old Filipino bakery and restaurant a couple blocks from Jollibee, broadcast the last Pacquiao fight free to customers. Owner Bruce Gomez estimated that around 50 people took advantage of the offer while enjoying a buffet offering of Filipino delicacies, such as the peanut butter beef and tripe dish “kare-kare” and sweet pork “BBQ Shanghai.”
Gomez himself is Venezuelan, but has a Filipina partner. He claimed that he bet in favor of Pacquiao against co-workers even in the days the boxer was not heavily favored. Gomez said he wanted to televise the fight for free because he felt that Pacquiao had become part of the local community. With plans to open a second Krystal’s location in Manhattan on East Seventh Street before the end of the year, Gomez hopes to broadcast the fights in both boroughs so fans have a place to gather.
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Christ Ifil, Jonathan, Villota and Kevin de la Cruz discuss their idol while enjoying Jollibee chicken.
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“It’s a lot of fun watching,” Gomez said. “It also helps that every time that we have him on, he’s always winning.”
A few more blocks down Roosevelt Avenue, Raul de la Cruz, stood outside an Off-Track Betting parlor. He was depressed because the horse he had bet on did not win. But when Pacquiao came up his eyes feverishly lit up. De la Cruz said he had followed the career of his Filipino compatriot from the start, adding that he’s raising his 5-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter to support the boxer. They playfully box him while yelling, “Pacquiao! Pacquiao!”
At the mention of Pacquiao’s upcoming fight against American Floyd Mayweather, de la Cruz let out a chuckle.
“We can bet on it,” he said.
