Many Filipinos nowadays would say that Sen. Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao’s dominance of the boxing world in the 2000s and 2010s is when boxing first became an important part of Filipino culture.

Although Pacquiao may have brought Filipino boxing to previously unheard-of heights, others laid the groundwork for success years before him. Boxers like Pancho Villa in the 1920s, Ceferino Garcia in the 1930s, and Gabriel “Flash” Elorde in the 1960s all won the world championship in their respective weight classes. The aforementioned boxing champions opened the path for the following generation of athletes to achieve even higher heights.

One of the objectives of the Bakbakan sa Montalban is to help shape national character and pride. Who knows that the next Manny Pacquiao is from Montalban – Rodriguez, Rizal?