Pacquiao enrolls in 10-day course to prepare him for Congress

In preparation for his stint as the newly-elected Lower House representative for Sarangani, Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao enrolled in a 10-day course that will help him as a lawmaker. Pacquiao’s classes in the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) — which will earn him a certificate course on development legislation and governance — started on Monday. “Kailangan kong matutunan ang lahat ng paraan para makadeliver ako ng husto at maserbisyuhan nang mabuti ang aking constituents," he said. (I need to learn all the ways for me to serve my constituents well.) Pacquiao defeated another political neophyte, Roy Chiongbian, a brother of outgoing three-term Sarangani Rep. Erwin Chiongbian. In 2007, Pacquiao first tried his luck in politics by running against then incumbent Rep. Darlene Antonio Custodio but he lost. The DAP custom-made the course based on the needs of Pacquiao, a first-termer, and even hired lecturers and experts from the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University. The boxing champion is expected to be briefed on different aspects of governance and different kinds of laws. Also included in the course are the roles and responsibilities of a lawmaker’s spouse. “Hihintayin ko yung day na ilelecture sa akin kung ano yung mga duties at responsibilities as a spouse. Charity work ata yung sa spouses kailangang mag-join ako," Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee, said. (I will wait for the lecture covering duties and responsibilities of a congressional spouse. I may need to join the other spouses in charity work.) Besides Jinkee, sitting in the class with Pacquiao were his team which will compose his congressional staff. On the first day of classes, the boxing idol already received high marks from Gloria Jumamin-Mercado, dean of the DAP graduate school of public and development management. “He came in very early. He really asks very good questions and he seems to have a very good handle on the problems of the province and the issues that he needs to carry to Congress," she said. - Amita O. Legaspi/RJAB Jr./JV/HS, GMANews.TV