Manny "National Fist" Pacquiao, showed world-class finesse in putting the back-pedaling Mexican Legend Marco Antonio Barrera into retirement after 18 years of boxing glory.

Never mind if The Pacman failed to knock the lights out of the three-time world champion Mexicano (Barrera) who decided to be a Ballroom Dancer or a marathoner by running around the ring - instead of boxing - just to survive the dynamite power of Pacman's fists.

Winning by a 12-round unanimous decision before a live audience that included boxing greats Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar de la Hoya, Manny Pacman showed the heart and skills of a true world champion.

A gentleman on and off the ring, Pacquiao showed further class - that despite Barrera's bicycling ways and the devious right hook to Pacman's jaw during an official clinch at the 11th round - the Gensan Bomber had kind words for the retiring Mexican and even hugged and raised his hands during a post-fight broadcast interview.

What we saw in Pacman was no longer the jungle fighter who fought on mere instincts - but the educated boxer honed in the science of fisticuff competition. Here was boxing's icon - relying on his God by making the sign of the cross a few dozen times inside the gladiators' ring - noticed by even the American pro-Barrera TV commentators.

Meantime her mother did not watch the 12-round smasheroo but knelt and prayed throughout the fight before the images of Jesus and Mary. Her prayers were obviously answered.

Pacman, who has a movie and a CD music album to his credit, thanked God neither he nor Marco Antonio - suffered immeasurably during the fight. That's class for you - adding another reason for us to feel "Proud to be Pinoy" Sunday.

Like the fabled Gabriel "Flash" Elorde (the former bootblack from Cebu), Pacquiao rose from the construction and bakery sites of Cotabato to now be ranked among the boxing world's very best. Both Filipino pugilists showed how poverty need not be a hindrance to achieve a globally recognized note of distinction.

This new-found world-wide feeling of pride in our Filipino race - is a phenomenon we had noticed since after EDSA I when we deposed a dictator and installed a housewife as president, with nary a bullet fired.

The bloodless revolution so inspired the world in dealing with despotic regimes - that by the beginning of the 1990's , there were only two communist dictatorial regimes left then - China and Fidel Castro's Cuba.

The Filipinos stopping tanks with their bodies armed with rosaries and flowers stunned the world and brought back dignity to the Filipino race.

Before then, we bowed our heads during Martial Law years even as one author described the country as peopled by "39 million cowards and one sonovabitch." Then when we went abroad, we claimed ourselves to be Malaysians, Thais, Chinese or Hongkong nationals - but no, never Filipinos. We have lost our dignity as a race.

But this new feeling of national pride is best exemplified by the resounding protest echoing through the world against that "Desperate Housewife" episode in ABC TV where a racist comment was made by Teri Hatcher against doctors in America who graduated from "some medical schools in Manila."

Some 100,000 hits had been registered in the protest website against the racist remark. The backlash of tsunami proportion forced ABC to issue a public apology even though the TV series is clearly a work of fiction - not a statement of facts.

Activist groups had gone further to require ABC to delete such damaging dialogue lines in the CD version of the TV series and to do scenes in the future episodes that will portray the Filipino race in good light.

The purists argue that this is abridging the freedom of speech and expression - since the TV series is pure fiction anyhow. But the point is clear - no nationality will ever make a slur on the Filipino race without creating a tidal wave of howls from here on.

The same is true with the John Stewart's "Daily Show" - though clearly a political satire show - who showed Britain's Margaret Thatcher and our Cory Aquino in very compromising depictions. Our former president - who helped us bring back democracy - and voted the "Woman of the Year" in 1986 by Time Magazine and was to be the first woman president to address the joint American Houses of Congress after People Power 1986 - was labeled a "slut" - a colloquial term for a low-class prostitute.

Given Cory's religiosity and her prim-and-proper public persona - and what she means to Filipinos today - the racial slur was hard to take. Again a demand for apologies and a note verbale requested by a woman senator.

This new fervor bordering on Filipino nationalistic fanaticism is something we love to see despite the horror stories brought on the country by its bureaucrat buccaneers and private sector thieves. We are still proud to be Filipinos - and why not?

Because for every 20% corrupt and abusive military - the core majority will die with their boots on for the country. For every 30% grafters in government - there are the conscious majority who slave through low wages to do good public service. Let us not forget them.

For every judge on the take, there are perhaps two others who dispense justice like the Blindfolded Lady. For every greedy public official, there are perhaps two others who do their job quietly and efficiently. Let us not forget them.

There are still doctors, nurses and dentists who volunteer for the "Doctors for the Barrios" program that bring them to the hinterlands of this nation. There are still OFWs who - against their wishes - leave hearth and home - to save the family from abject poverty and powerlessness. Let us not forget them.

Let us not forget they are Filipinos. The majority of public school teachers who remained honest despite threats during their election tour of duty. Remember one Filomena Tatlonghari who died protecting the ballot box she was carrying to be counted. She was a Filipina.

A male teener dove and covered with his body an exploding grenade to save his friends nearby somewhere in Asia. He was a Filipino, trained by the Jesuits to be a Man for Others."

A ten-year old boy in Bulacan - during the sinking of a boat in a Pagoda Festival in a river - dove and saved 12 people he didn't even know - from drowning. On his 13th attempt, he hit his head on a hard raft and died a hero. He was a Filipino.

The jeepney driver who returned to the authorities - half a million pesos inside a bag left by a tourist - because he could not spend what he had not earned honestly is a Filpino.

In spite of grim statistics, we see that there is enough heroism left in this country - that makes us citizens who decided to stay behind and ignore the Diaspora abroad - feel honored not to have made the mistake of leaving this country. This country is worth dying - and living for.

Mabuhay and Pilipinas! Mabuhay and Pinoy!

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