Boxing superstar Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao (right) greets his mother, Dionesia, during his victory party after winning a seat in Congress and her birthday celebration at a convention center in General Santos, in Mindanao last May 15. (AFP)

The equally-famous mother of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, Mommy Dionisia, exuded radiance and happiness as she stood beside her son, who had a recent grand blowout at his sprawling General Santos home, to celebrate his victory as congressman-elect of the impoverished province of Sarangani.

What made the celebration doubly enjoyable for the Pacquiao grand matriarch was the mouthpiece of the evening, a diamond bracelet, said to be worth more than a million pesos, given to her by his son.

For 60-year-old Mommy Dionisia, everything seems to be falling into place, and that God is listening to her every wish.

All good things coming her way are dreams come true for the erstwhile simple housewife who had lived through life’s ups and downs – a failed marriage, grinding poverty, an existence denied of even the most basic necessities such as food and shelter.

But this is all part of the challenges and hardships she had endured, and eventually survived.
Mommy Dionisia is now living like a queen in her own kingdom; She has a newly-built mansion in her hometown of Gensan, where she struggled to bring up her children alone, despite poverty and hardship. She travels in style, dons signature clothes and shoes, accessorizes herself with the most expensive pieces of jewelry, buys branded bags. She even appears on television and in the movies.
Her endearing qualities, however remain and are not lost to those who know her best – kith and kin, fellow churchgoers. Despite the trappings of wealth and popularity, she remains humble, simple, a deeply prayerful person who invokes God’s intercession in every event in her life. Truly, the Gods must be listening to her!

Her prayers are seen by many as one of the factors contributing to the successes of Manny in the boxing world, and the most recent, in the political arena. (With a report from AFP)