Pacquiaos to vacation in Jerusalem

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao is taking his family to Jerusalem again for a 15-day vacation.

The eight-division boxing champion told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone that his family – Sarangani Vice Governor Jinkee Pacquiao and their children Michael Stephen, Emmanuel Jr., Princess and Queen Elizabeth – would be leaving for Israel on June 10.

Their youngest child, who was born on April 24 and was named after the Jewish state, will be left behind under the care of a nanny and a nurse.

“Our youngest child, Israel, will be left behind. This is not just a leisure trip but above all a time for family bonding and retreat,” Pacquiao said.

The Pacquiao family has been frequenting the Holy Land not just for tourism but as part of strengthening their faith.

“For us Christians, the feeling is really different once you set foot in Israel, particularly in Bethlehem where our Lord Jesus Christ was born,” Pacquiao said.

The Filipino boxing legend said visiting the Holy Land has always been an enjoyable and spiritually enriching trip for him and his family.

About two weeks after the birth of their fifth child, the Pacquiao couple went on a business trip to Singapore together with former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson.

Pacquiao’s Singapore trip was upon the invitation of Datuk Dr. Azmil Khalid, chairman of the Malaysia-Philippines Business Council.

While in Singapore, Pacquiao met with several tycoons for possible joint business ventures and to invite them to invest in his district in Sarangani.

He said it was timely to invite businessmen from Malaysia due to the recent signing of peace accord between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government.

He refused to divulge specific details of his meetings with Malaysian businessmen but he said he would do so when a final decision has been made.

Last week, Pacquiao said, he also visited Palawan province to look for a possible investment site.

“Palawan is a very beautiful and peaceful place, unlike Manila, which is already overcrowded. I was captivated by the beauty and serenity of the place,” Pacquiao said.

He said owning an island resort was one of his fondest dreams, but he has not found a site in Palawan where he would want to spend the rest of his life after retiring from politics or boxing.

The ring icon has leased a portion of Tuka Marine Park, a prime seaside property in Kiamba town in Sarangani, where he used to bond with his family and friends during his free time.

He has also purchased a beachfront resort in Maasim town in the same province where he put up a shooting range that is considered by shooters as one of the best in Mindanao.

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