More kids on the horizon for Pacquiao?
Baby Israel Pacquiao was born 27 April, barely a week after the Jewish celebration Passover ended. But now that the Pacquiaos have welcomed their fifth child, will the public be counting on a sixth?
Manny, the 35-year-old boxing champ, had earlier revealed that he planned on naming his fifth child by wife Jinkee after the Holy Land, which he had visited with his family twice in the past. Manny is also a devout Christian, so much so that religion has gotten his boxing trainers worried.
To Manny, who took a pro-life stance in the RH debate, his religiosity is central to life, and having children is part of it. In an interview in 2013, he said that if the decision were up to him, he wishes to have eight children. Jinkee said ‘Gusto [ni Manny] eight. Kasi naka-eight world titles, gusto niya ang anak niya ay eight din.’
But will the Pacquiaos push through with this wish? Manny and Jinkee are still young in their mid-30s and are capable of having more children physically. However, with retirement looming in the horizon and five young children to support through more than ten years of education, the Pacquiaos may have to make a firm decision.
As a father, Manny said in an interview in 2011 that teaching by example is important to him. Now that he is a global icon, a lawmaker, a role model and even a hero to many Filipinos, he should lead a life that would set the right example to his fellowmen.
In a country where children can easily fall victims to poverty, the Pacquiaos could set a good model for the kind of family and number of children a Filipino family should have.