Filipino boxer and lawmaker Manny Pacquiao has always been known for his charitable ways and the 37-year-old proved it once again when he gave 150 families new homes just a week before his 37th birthday.
Pacquiao shelled out about PhP28.5 million (roughly $600,000 after currency conversion) for the project dubbed as the "Pacman Village." The lucky recipients were the ones over at Bales Village, Maasim in the province of Saranggani, Philippines.
But rather than accept the credit for it all, Pacquiao advised the recipients to thank God and not him since he was only an instrument to help the people in need.
A total of 300 homes will be built on the four-hectare land which was purchased by the Filipino boxer, as revealed by project contractor Ricardo A. Marcellana via Philboxing.com. He also adds that the PHP28.5 million amount is just the total project cost and does not yet include the cost of the actual land.
"Give thanks to God for what you have received today. It's a gift from Him. He's just using me to help you. Take good care of this property and don't sell it," says Pacquiao to the lucky recipient of new homes.
But it looks like Pacquiao isn't done yet. With more spaces available, it looks like there will be more recipients in the future. He says that his target is to deliver a total of 600 housing units to accommodate the homeless.
Pacquiao is expected to fight one last time on April 9, 2016 against a yet to be named opponent. It will be his last fight before he ventures out into politics, eyeing a possible senatorial seat in the upcoming national elections that will be held in May 2016.
It seems that his choice of opponent for his swan song has been whittled down to two — Terence Crawford and Timothy Bradley Jr. Amir Khan was the third one in the mix, but it looks like the British boxer has opted to focus on making a fight happen with Kell Brook instead, as previously reported by the Telegraph.
