Pacquiao to receive 'Order of Sikatuna' in gov't welcome party

President Arroyo will confer the Order of Sikatuna to boxing champ Manny Pacquiao Friday during a “Grand Hero’s" welcome prepared by the government at the Quirino Granstand in Manila. The “Parangal Kay Manny Pacquiao sa Luneta" will be held Friday afternoon and highlighted by the conferment of the Sikatuna Award with the Rank of Datu (Katangiang Ginto) on Pacquiao for having won an unprecedented seventh boxing title. The Order of Sikatuna, according to online free encyclopedia Wikipedia, is given to individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Philippines, upon diplomats, officials and nationals of foreign states who have rendered conspicuous services in fostering, developing and strengthening relations between their country and the Philippines, or upon personnel of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), both in the Home Office and in the Foreign Service. The Order of Sikatuna may be awarded by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the name and by authority of the President. It was created by Executive Order No. 571 signed by Pres. Elpidio Quirino on February 27, 1953. Pacquiao won over Puerto Rican boxer Miguel Cotto to snatch the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title during their “Firepower" match at the MGM Hotel in Las Vegas last Saturday (Sunday in Manila). The “Parangal Kay Manny Pacquiao sa Luneta," is a collaboration of various government agencies including the Office of the President, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Department of Public Works and Highways, Metro Manila Development Authority and the Philippine Sports Commission. The event is supported by Solar Entertainment, which will show a replay of Pacquiao’s victorious match against Cotto on several large television screens around the Quirino Grandstand. The General Santos City native Pacquiao – who started fighting as a 106-lb in the strawweight division – also holds the International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight crown. He previously ruled the WBC light weight, WBC super featherweight, International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight, WBC flyweight and RING Magazine’s featherweight divisions. No boxer has ever won seven world titles in as many weight divisions. Only four boxers have won six – Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya, Thomas Hearns and Hector Camacho. – GMANews.TV