DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR - PART III

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR – PART III

By Doods A. Amora, PEE

THE MORNING AFTER (Friday, Oct 26, 2007)

A clear beautiful Friday morning finally came and we were all ready for the day. We were joined by Noralyn, a Filipina from Manila who was once a TV commercial model and Sharmaine, a beauty from Sri Lanka. Like my daughter Kitty, Noralyn and Sharmaine are now functioning as Cabin Crew of Qatar Airways.

Kitty then announced that she would be treating us to a surprise respite in a cool breezy place called Genting Highlands.

“Highlands…? You mean, bukid, bundok?” I asked because opposite to my intentions, my own map was to go direct to the Petronas Towers and conquer her. But this time it’s not for me to complain. Kitty was the ‘secretary-general’ pre-arranging our itinerary and the ‘finance officer’ paying for the bills in this trip. Besides, the trip package & tickets had already been purchased the day ahead.

(From Left to Right): Sharmaine, Kitty, and Noralyn)

We were seven then, so we needed two teksi’s to bring us to the Central Station.

We hurried as we needed to catch the 9:30 morning bus to the highlands; otherwise, the trip would be ruined. But a second taxi was difficult to find in such peak traffic hours in a financial district, so the four of us, puro bagong salta, went ahead.

The taxi driver, sensing that we were first-timer tourists and knowing that there’s a bus to catch, pulled out his bag of tricks. Acting as a tourist guide, he gave details on what we saw along the way, what the landmarks are all about and the important edifices & personalities in Malaysia.

We realized he did not flag down the meter and when prompted, he said, “Walang problema”, nag Tagalog, pa! When we reached the Central Station, he concluded for RM20 (a favorite figure among taxi drivers in KL). A brief debate ensued but we gave in, anyway. It was not good for our health and the bus on schedule was already beckoning us. The bus, this time was more important than the taxi driver.

Charge to experience… this will never happen again, we promised. Later, we were advised that before taking a free-lance taxi, it should be made clear whether flag-down or un-metered. Para bagang sa Manila, e, “contrata”?


THE BUS RIDE TO THE MOUNTAINS

Starting off from the KL Sentral Station (KLSS), an air-conditioned 44-seater Luxury Coach brought us up to so-called Skyway Station in the mountains of Gohtong Jaya, some 60 kilometers away from the city. We understood that from the Skyway Station, we needed another ride, this time on a Cable Car to reach “Genting Highlands – the City of Entertainment”, our destination for the day.

Malaysian Hi-way Going to the Mountains: Note the Terraces-like Hillsides

The forty-minute all-climb bus ride was a total comfort - no sweat. With no sleep in the previous day, I was tempted to invoke dreamland but not so with the sceneries I feasted along the way.

The Highway: Again, one of the first things I noticed was the road network. On a clear day, I had much better views on them and to think that we were climbing up the mountains, I anticipated the technology of the urbanities to be waning, as we would go deeper into the countryside.

Another Sample of the Malaysian Hi-way Going to the Mountains

But I was wrong. While spreeing up to the mountains, I saw the same quality roads uniformly in asphalt gray until we reached the Gohtong Jaya Skyway Station.

Still bump-less, flawless… and the hillsides ripped-rapped with concrete complete with water flow control to prevent landslides, very much similar to what I found in the outskirts of Hong Kong.

The Typical Malaysian Hi-way

But in Kuala Lumpur, they made it like rice terraces. And they made staircase-like concrete waterways right on the natural concentrated route of sliding waters, in effect as I imagined, making waters from the hills seem to look like miniature cascading waterfalls down to the open storm drain at the sides of the road. And there were several hundreds of them, I thought.

Then the forest…: In Kuala Lumpur, motoring to an authentic forest only takes 10 minutes. In fact, within the urban Kuala Lumpur itself, real centuries-old forests can be found within the city. The Malaysians must have preserved them as integral parks in the metropolis and I realized how high their esteem towards Mother Nature is. Something like harmoniously blending mother earth with man-made frailties, so to speak.

Malaysian Hi-way Going to the Mountains. Note the Real Centuries-Old Forest Being Preserved.

And flower garden parks too, beautiful tropical flowers along the way…, embellishing the sides of the roads.

Look at The Flower Parks at the Sides of the Roads… Pleasantly Amazing!

The Power Grid Towers: As we climbed the hills, so with the high voltage towers at both sides of the highway. Striking was that, while in the Philippines we have single or double circuit lines on the towers, what I saw in Kuala Lumpur were two-double circuit (4–circuits) transmission systems side by side with another set of transmission lines in separate towers. Malaysia has 132, 275 and 500 kilo-volt transmission systems criss-crossing the countryside. As I learned later, the 500kV transmission system is the single largest transmission system to be ever developed in Malaysia. Valued at RM1.6 billion (PhP 20 billion), the system forms the new backbone of the National Grid.

Gardens at the Sides of the Roads…

As a sidelight, the increasing demand of power in Malaysia had been forecast at 7.8% per year and is expected to reach 20,087 MW in 2010 (compared to the Philippines’ 15,350 MW by 2010).

Malaysia is set to expand the country’s generating capacity to 27,111 MW by 2010 (that is to include the Sabah Territory), from the recent 20,244 MW (compared to the Philippines’ recent of only 12,910 MW). Malaysia’s power generation in 2004 reached 78.24 billion kW-hr while in comparison, only 56.57 billion kW-hr for the Philippines.

The Two-Double Circuit Transmission Tower

Considering the population of Malaysia at only 24.8 million as against the Philippines’ 91.5 million in land areas of almost the same, power demand in the Philippines could have been much greater than Malaysia should the population consumption alone be made as basis. The large discrepancy in power generation could thus be attributed to the much greater per capita power consumption (indicative of the economic well-being of the common citizen) and the industries in Malaysia which must be in much staggering proportions compared to the Philippines.

Typical Malaysian Transmission System

Malaysia’s Power Grid today is interconnected with Singapore Power at a capacity of 200 MW through 230 kV submarine cables and 80 MW capacity at 132 kV with Thailand’s Electricity Generation Authority (EGAT) transmission network. A second interconnection with Thailand at 300 kV DC, 300 MW capacity is now said under way to completion.

Distribution lines are of 36 kV, 22 kV, 11kv, 6.9 kV and 415/240 volt in the Malaysia distribution network.

That’s for the engineers to think of.


A SKYHIGH EXPERIENCE

Anyway, after forty minutes of uphill ride, we finally arrived at the Skyway Station. Linking from its Main Station to Highlands Hotel, the Genting Skyway Cable Car System offers a very convenient and high tech, super smooth ride up to the resort city at the mountain peak.

Then I remembered the cable cars in Tagaytay Highlands.

What would it be like in Genting? As the hype flies, “the Genting Skyway does not only enhance the international fame of Genting Highlands Resort but also places Malaysia as a famous location for one of the most modern cable car system, making Genting Highlands Resort a more attractive holiday destination”.

Scaling the Heights on the Cable Car: Note on the Untouched Forests & the Angles of Descents & Ascents

When we rode on the thrilling Genting Skyway cable car, scaling the steep heights made our senses come alive! The loftiness was ten or twenty times than that of Tagaytay Highlands and the angle of ascent to the hills - 30 degrees, 40 degrees sometimes 45 degrees, or even more! And the distance traveled was 3.5 kilometers!

No wonder why it has been said that the Skyway is a tourist attraction in its own right. In a journey back to nature, this ‘Skyway’ provides incredible breathtaking views of the 100 million years untouched rainforest up and below our eyes. The ride to the peak treated us the spectacle of the lush surrounding mountains at a comfortable speed that got us to the top in perfect moods.

The Eight-Seater Gondola

Officially opened a decade ago in 1997, the RM128 million (PhP 1.6 billion) Genting Skyway had become the busiest skyway in the world with a capacity to ferry 2,000 people per hour each way with 8 passengers per gondola. “At the maximum speed of 360 meters per minute, the 3.5 kilometers journey up the mountain peak takes only 12 minutes. Recognized as the “World’s Fastest Mono Cable Car System” and the “Longest Cable Car in Southeast Asia”, lately, some 22 million passengers have since experienced a ride on this state-of-the-art cable car”, the literature reads.

The LEITNER Cable Car System

“State-of-the art… huh?” I asked loudly enough to be heard by the seven of us in the gondola. Being a maintenance manager & lecturer myself, I speculated (forgive me) how maintenance is operating in this system and how skillful the technicians are. “What if this thing trips off and we are here, up in the air, helpless? How would they rescue us? And there are thousands of us hanging in the air. How soon should our time come?” Everybody then kept their mouths shut. I felt guilty & responsible; I sensed Noralyn closing her lovely eyes and started uttering some prayers.

The Landing at Genting City Station: Note of the Angle of Approach

THE CABLE CAR SYSTEM

While busy feasting on new things, I took time in looking for a nameplate. I found one that says, “Leitner”. It must have been Swiss made. Of course, remember the Alps - the Swiss engineers must have been the trusted experts for this kind of technology. Subsequent research on the technical aspects of this wonder, finds me the following:

My daughter Kitty; and my two 'Adopted Daughters': Noralyn & Sharmaine… on the Gondola

Manufactured by Leitner of Switzerland, the two - 850 horsepower main drives and the 2.15 inch cable wire made it one of the most powerful and strongest mono-cable gondola installations in the world. The entire system with high-tech electronic equipment was built in accordance with stringent Swiss regulations & standards and it has a double safety circuit completely independent and absolutely fault safe.

Ah, nothing to worry…

The 100 Million Years Old Untouched Woodlands

According to its technical bulletin, “the foundation used for the pylons is of the "Hang-Dug Caisson" type. Each pylon is founded on four Caissons measuring 1.2 meters in diameter, which are socketed down to the bedrocks. The average depth of the Caissons is about 40 m (135 feet) and each group of four Caissons piles can take a vertical load of 4,000 tons against the maximum vertical load of 150 tons from the cable car system. The Caissons method is about the safest and strongest foundation in existence, designed specifically for hilly terrain. Each pylon is accessible via rescue tracks on the ground, while each gondola is equipped with radio communication equipment from the stations.”

A Partial Glimpse of the Genting Highlands Outdoor Theme Park, Malaysia’s Premier Resort

THE GENTING HIGHLANDS

Then we set foot at the “Genting Highlands or The City of Entertainment”, the magnificent city on the mountaintop is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Malaysia.

On top of Titiwangsa Mountain Range in the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor; Genting is a mountain peak and is home to the famous mountain resort by the same name. Genting Highlands Resort offers the bountiful harvest of nature together with a surprising potpourri of international standard facilities.

Another Partial Glimpse of the Genting
Highlands Outdoor Theme Park.

Sprawling at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level (500 meters higher than Baguio City, and 950 meters short of Mt. Apo of the Philippines), Genting Highlands enjoys a cool climate, with temperatures generally staying in the 14-25 deg C range yearly. The crisp invigorating mountain atmosphere complemented by majestic scenery satiates one’s souls & eyes. Lush green tropical rainforest shrouded in a veil of perpetual mist, fog and clouds makes it hard to believe that we were just minutes away from the sweltering equatorial heat of the city. On a clear day, there are stunning views down into the valley — but when it's raining, Genting City would be swathed in rolling clouds and visibility dropping to zero.

That’s me and my Wife, in the Genting Highlands Outdoor Theme Park

The Flying Coaster Ride – the First in Asia

To my observation, there are only two kinds of people in Genting Highlands – the tourists and the Genting employees. Genting Highlands was founded in the 1960’s by Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, one of the richest men in Asia who at 93 just passed away three days before we came to Kuala Lumpur. Genting Group of Companies employ over 36,000 globally and have 11,000 acres (44 square kilometers) of prime resort land and 175,000 acres (708 square kilometers) of land for plantation. The group combined market capitalization is US $11 billion. Wow!

My Family in the Roller Coaster Ride

The resort includes two theme parks (the outdoor & the indoor), both with dozens of amusement rides and attractions suitable for the entire family - making it a blend of the charms of Disneyland and the thrills of Las Vegas. Other facilities in this resort include Hotels, Shopping Malls, Sky Diving Simulator, Space Shot, Corkscrew, Snow World, Concert Halls, Equestrian Facilities, a challenging 18-Hole, Par-71 Golf Course and many more. It is also home to a 100-million-year-old forest that one can see on its surroundings.

That’s Me, my Wife and my Son Boboy

Genting is Malaysia's family-friendly, sanitized attempt at Las Vegas, as it is the only legal land-based casino in the country. Genting Highlands Resort also features many hotels owned by Genting Group of Companies including Genting Highlands Hotel, Resort Hotel, First World Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and Awana Genting. Except Awana, all hotels in Genting are connected by sheltered walkways and escalators, so we never actually need to go outside. The entire complex is, theoretically, wheelchair accessible.

That’s the Group in Awe – Witnessing the Space Shot!!!!

There used to be band concerts scheduled during the nights, and the mainstays usually are Filipino performers. But Beer Drinking as a nightlife in Genting is very limited. There were a few bars in the entire complex, but expect to pay north of RM20 (PhP 240) for a single drink. Even the convenience stores are charging RM12 (PhP 144) for a single can of beer! There are several cafes such as Starbucks Coffee and Coffee Beans & Tea Leaf available in Genting Highlands.

Better drink the coffee to the brink, they cost much less than the beer!


THE GENTING CITY HOTELS

With 10,000 hotel rooms to choose from, there are usually plenty of beds at Genting.

The Thrill in the Spinner…!

First World Hotel: This two tower three-star monolith with stylish exterior paint used to be the largest in the entire world, with 6,118 rooms. The main selling point of this hotel is the price: while tagged rate is RM240 during peak seasons of November and December, advance booking weekday off-season promotions go for as little as RM20.

The Most Challenging Ride, The Flying Coaster: The first in Asia that Hurls Oneself Through the Air at Zero Gravity…

First World Hotel surpassed MGM LAS VEGAS, the former largest hotel in the world with 5,690 rooms. However, as of December of 2006, when the MGM Grand opened a number of new rooms in its Signature towers, the First World Hotel lost the title as MGM Las Vegas grabbed it again.

First World Plaza inside the First World Hotel is Malaysia's self-proclaimed highest shopping mall. The Plaza is a mix of indoor theme park and shopping malls with replicas of random landmarks from around the world.

Inside The First World Plaza Indoor Theme Park

Genting Hotel: This 5-star hotel offers a wide range of entertainment and recreational facilities such as heated indoor swimming pool, 10 restaurants (including the award-winning The Olive), and a large karaoke center. This exclusive hotel is open only to invited high rollers and Genting WorldCard Silver cardholders and their invited guests, similar to Tagaytay Highlands’ VIP cards.

The Resort Hotel: That’s Where We Took Our Lunch…!

Resort Hotel: Resort Hotel is a four-star hotel adjacent to the Genting Hotel with its own section of the Casino and three F&B outlets.

Then there’s the ‘Theme Park Hotel’, a French-themed castle-village-hotel notionally modeled on the 16th-century village of Colmar in Alsace, France, complete with drawbridge. It ranks as a 3 star hotel, with affordable yet comfortable rooms.

The Lobby of the 5-Star Resort Hotel

THE WAY BACK TO GOHTONG JAYA

Exhausted from sight seeing, dining, shopping, wandering kilometers around and a dozen rides; it’s now time to go back to the city.

Already in late afternoon, the sun seemed to shy away ahead and must have retired early such that the clouds, the mist and fog took over. As the showers fell, visibility was almost zero! We could no longer see what’s below and above us.

The French – Inspired Theme Park Hotel

Of course the gondola ride downstream via the Skyway was supposed to be very smooth as expected. Fine…

But then halfway, the cable car system tripped off! The sudden stop made the gondola swinging freely and to think that we were over hundreds of meters from the floor of the valley below us. Then, everybody in the gondola must have recalled my comments earlier in the day.

The USA inside the First World Plaza…

“No problem my dear ladies, drive motors do trip, it’s always normal in operations like this.” In a reassuring tone, I meant it, no more, no less. It could be part of the thrill. And the cable car started again. Somebody must have reset the controls. From the feel of it, the drive must have been a variable frequency one. Fine…

But then, it tripped again, Four times more! Ha!

I noticed my wife clinging to a bar of the gondola, least of breaking it, and close to emitting tears while praying. And, Noralyn, yes, more silent but more purposive… Haha! I needed to be perceived as unconcerned, at least.

The First World Hotel in Two Imposing Monoliths:
Once the Largest Hotel in the World…!

Then at last, we arrived back to the Gohtong Jaya station. To our relief, everything’s well, that ends well. Somebody out there must have jumpered a relay contact.

Riding on the bus back to Kuala Lumpur made me ponder again, Malaysia, Truly Asia, a destination indeed.

Back to the hotel, I found myself drained and dead-tired. Before I knew it, faster than Muhammad Ali’s jab, I fell asleep before my back touched my bed…

But then, PETRONAS, tomorrow I’ll conquer your splendor, I dreamed…



Bitin? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…

(To be continued…)

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR (PART II)

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR (PART II)
By Doods A. Amora, PEE

MOTORING TO KUALA LUMPUR

Sidebar: In my previous experiences, the scariest moments in foreign travels were the taxi episodes. Maybe because I had lots of these encounters before. But alas, most of these sour experiences happened nowhere else in the world - ironically, in our own City of Manila.

I recalled that in Germany, taxis were giving out ‘quittung’ (official receipt), and the drivers were wonderfully honest & helpful to foreigners. In Singapore, taxi service may be paid for by credit cards. And in those places, I felt safe & secured, and more importantly, the feeling of nobody is fooling who.

[The Arrival Corridor Going to the Immigration Counters]

In Manila, especially if you emerge from an international flight, then you are pretty sure to be in a frustrating outbreak of your trip.

Pilipino nangloloko sa kapwa Pilipino sa lugar mismo ng mga Pilipino.

The Kuala Lumpur Experience: At KLIA's 'Meeting Point', we were now set to exit the terminal. At this point in time, we must face my fears once again.

The Teksi (Taxi)… What would it be like in Kuala Lumpur?

In her anticipative research, my wife Mimi learned from a travel forum in the web that the antics of taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur are similar to Manila taxicabs. Usual tricks like no meter flag downs thereafter demanding RM 20 (PhP 240) for a usual RM 6 (PhP 72) within short city transports. Yes, I would agree to that because we experienced it ourselves in our subsequent days.

[My Son BOBOY, at the MEETING POINT]

But somehow in KLIA (and in other major stations & government establishments in Kuala Lumpur), we discovered we don’t have to worry. The airport for instance has taxi booths where one can buy tickets for a specific destination. The taxi counter determines the type of taxi for the service according to the distance, the number of passengers and volume of baggage. By the way, baggage loads are being paid for, which to me, is fair enough.

As far as I knew, there were three types of taxis to choose from, the ‘budget taxi’, the ‘premier limousine service’ and the ‘free-lancer’ taxis. One has to avoid the free-lancers because they are reminiscent of the Manila taxis.

By the way, there is a high-speed train plying KLIA to Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station (KLSS) route in 28 minutes non-stop costing RM 35 per head. It would be a good choice if one doesn’t have lots of baggage and in a hurry.

We chose the budget taxi for RM 67, that’s roughly PhP 804. Quite a lot of money, I thought. A quick mental calculation later relieved me. In Mactan Cebu Airport for instance, a trip home to Mandaue City of only 6 kilometers distance costs us PhP 300 and that is PhP 50 per kilometer. The heart of Kuala Lumpur, this time our destination, is 70 kilometers away and that would be PhP 11.48 per kilometer only. Quite cheap, huh…? By the way, the payment is done at the taxi counter (not to the driver) and a receipt is issued. Then there’s a specific taxi exit door leading to a corridor where an attendant is waiting who will in turn give the taxi that you need as indicated in the receipt. Our taxi turned out to be a Malaysian Proton version of a semi-SUV.

KLIA is situated in Sepang area in the Malaysian State of Selangor, a 70 kilometer stretch to the heart of Kuala Lumpur. At an average of 70 kph, travel time was one hour. Traversing through 8-lane super highway (4 lanes in each direction, sometimes 5 lanes in interchanges), the ride was a real joy to remember.

[The KLIA to CITY HIGHWAY: Note the Excellent Lanes]

The highway ride was flawless & bumpless in a high quality concrete road overlaid by asphalt – “it’s like the Expressway in the USA”, as described by my son Boboy, who is still fresh from a US trip. The gorgeous ‘highway interchanges’ along the way were by themselves scenes to behold - very similar to the Auto-Bahn I experienced in Germany. For the entire stretch of the highway, there were underground storm drainage systems intended to arrest rain waters from the road itself as there were also open drainage systems that catch the sliding waters from the side hills. These explain why the roads are still in excellent condition since 1993.

Unlike in the Philippines, all the highway side lights we passed through were working, and all the traffic lights were operative. Except for the 132 kV, 275 kV and 500 kV high & extra-high voltage grid towers on the hilltops, I didn’t see any medium voltage overhead electric distribution lines – all must have been underground in that entire seventy kilometer span.

Amidst my admiration I thought why our country can’t build faultless superhighways like what I saw in Kuala Lumpur...

By then I recalled the late Max Soliven, former publisher of the Philippine Star in one of his columns many years back, when he praised the Malaysian highway to the superlative degree but not short in saying that the road networks in Malaysia were constructed by Filipino expats and engineers.

There you are my friends; it is not that we don’t have the capability – because for every great infrastructure or edifice anywhere else in the planet, there must be Filipinos out there behind the scene. But why can’t we do it in our country? Is it because of too much politics? What kind of politics? Patronage Politics, Partisan Politics? Or Politics of Greed? Whatever it is…

[The TOLL PLAZA: Note the number of Gates]

Probably we need Professional Management in Governance. Another wishful thinking, huh? I told myself…not to care for it anymore.

In recollection, the conceptualization of the super-highways in Malaysia started after the separation of Singapore in 1965, when the Malaysian government opted to make Port Klang as Malaysia's new national port as a replacement. The government then built super-highways and road systems covering some 66,000 kilometers connecting Port Klang to Kuala Lumpur and the rest of the country. Malaysia's highway system comprises several types of roads. There are Federal Roads, State Roads and Municipal Roads; all of which made up one of Asia's most advanced road systems. Made operational in 1993, the main highway system is a combination of ten-lane (5 - 5 lanes each side ), eight - lane (4 + 4 lanes) & six - lane (3 + 3 lanes each side) infrastructures with Toll Plazas (as they call it).

The 26 gate Toll Plazas (13 + 13 at each side) in themselves were scenes not to be forgotten in one's memories.

But those are just a prologue to its more alluring attractions.


APPROACHING KUALA LUMPUR

From my readings back home, I learned that Kuala Lumpur bestows an exotic blend of the old and the new. The signs of modernity & technological progress are evident in the intelligent high rise buildings, excellent roads, high speed urban transportation, advance tele-communication systems & information technology revolution.

I should see it first hand, by now.

But Kuala Lumpur’s humble beginning was a matter of fact, a muddy & messy confluence. That’s what ‘Kuala Lumpur’ literally means.

Its origin was a murky shanty mining outpost for the tin trade in the 1800's sitting on the convergence of two major rivers. ‘K L’ as it is popularly known today is a bustling metropolis, the federal capital of Malaysia and the principal center and host for commerce and international affairs.

[KUALA LUMPUR by night from a Distance]

And here where we then, to our eyes after nearly an hour of travel by car, Kuala Lumpur’s buzzing skyline had slowly been unfolding - so inspiring from afar like heaps of multi-colored high-rise jewels. Amongst the high rise buildings unveiled, the first identifiable skyscraper to stand proud in sight was the Times Square, and then followed by the imposing magnificence of the Menara KL Tower, the fourth Tallest Tower in the world.

And then, Oh my God…! Slowly revealing from the distant horizon was the majestic grandeur of the Petronas Twin Towers, once the tallest building in the planet, now still the tallest twin buildings of the world!

[The Fabled PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS; Soaring to the Nightsky]

So regal was the sight of the mirror images as if painted like diamond lining silhouettes with its cosmic pillars spiraling up to the sky against the backdrop of the ebony heavens. And as we came closer and closer, we realized its unbelievable proportions. So bewildering that we forgot to photograph the sight until we were past through them.

But I promised myself: “Tomorrow, I will touch you, Petronas…; I shall conquer your many splendored beauty!”

In restrospect, until 1998, the world's tallest skyscrapers had always been in the United States. But that year, Malaysia's Petronas Towers laid claim to this distinction. Squeaking past the Chicago Sears Tower by 33 feet, the spires the Petronas Towers peak at an impressive 1,483 feet. After six years of reigning glory, Taipei 101 Building at 1,670 feet grabbed the laurels as the supreme edifice, but still Petronas retained the honor of being the Tallest Twin Building of the globe - and to think that these colossal structures are in Asian soil!

[Kuala Lumpur's Downtown at Night]

Then our taxi navigated through the brightly-lit thoroughfares leading to the multi-hued pieces of night life of Kuala Lumpur - similar to our J. P. Rizal/Makati Avenue or Ortigas Center's El Pueblo. From the air, I took notice of a band’s perfect rendition of Carlo Santana’s Corazon Ezpinado - in an unmistakable Filipino fiber.

How I wished I was there. The performers could be my friends…

[One of The City's Night Life Pieces]

THE CROWNE PLAZA MUTIARA HOTEL

At 11:00 PM, we arrived at The Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel (a sister-chain hotel of the Philippines’ Crowne Plaza Hotel in Robinson Galleria Complex of Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City), where my daughter Kitty was waiting to unite with us.

Crowne Plaza by the way, used to be Kuala Lumpur's Hilton Hotel. There’s not much new to talk about the hotel being typical to the five star hotels we have in Manila and Cebu.

Nevertheless, as the entire family reunited, emotions came flying high, followed by the usual tears - normal to the Filipino character.

[That's Me & my Wife]

Exhausted at last, all others were duped to slumberland at 2:00 o'clock in the early morning. But sleep never caught me, probably because my mind was still full of the overdose of realities I didn’t expect. There should be more as daytime soon begins again.

Feeling alone in the midst of non-unison snoring music, I grabbed my laptop and started writing…

(To be continued… Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…)

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR (PART I)

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR (PART I)
(October 25 – 28, 2007)

By Doods A. Amora, PEE

Traveling to other lands has always been fascinatingly educational.

As other countries differ from our very own language, history, culture, tradition, architecture, infrastructures and ways of doing things, the opportunities given me while in Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Northern China, Southern China and Jakarta in mid 1990’s had addressed the learnings & experiences of these mixed diversities I’ve treasured over the years.

The inertia at rest brought by my eight-year travel hiatus somewhat made me lethargic to take a trip outside the country once more. But this time, an occasion to discover Kuala Lumpur courtesy of Qatar Airways through its partner airline, Malaysia Airlines, the zeal to trek in places I haven't reached yet came itching to my senses once again.

What would I see then? What would I learn this time?

Hence, on a sunny Thursday afternoon, we flew from Mactan to Kuala Lumpur via Kota Kinabalu together with my wife Mimi, my son Boboy and a family friend. We were to join my daughter Kitty, a cabin crew of Qatar Airways, in time of her three days lay-over at the posh Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel located in the heart of the financial district of Kuala Lumpur. Similar to Manila-Davao flight, it was one hour & thirty minutes plane ride to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, a state of Malaysia.


STOP-OVER AT KOTA KINABALU

Flying over Sabah brought my thoughts to the scenes of the past. Unplundered, its blue-green forests showcased the richness of the centuries-old flora & fauna of a land that was once claimed by our country as ours. In a nostalgic flash, it reminded me of the bald(ed) woodlands of our country that were once known as the vaunted source of best timbers of the planet. It further prompted me to muse over the sad plight of a once mighty wood-based industry sprawled in my hometown of Nasipit (Northern Mindanao) that had now been leveled and vanished seemingly without a trace.


[A partial view of Kota Kinabalu International Airport]

Yes, to my friends who knew my roots, I meant our cherished Nasipit Lumber Company (NALCO), which once upon a time employed more than 3,000 people (including me) and fed some 15,000 mouths. Reflecting on recent history, NALCO like most of the lumber companies in the country had to fade away as there were no more jungles to log over. No more lauan, apitong, magkono, tugas, tuog, yakal, etc. Gone were the sight of the power plant smokestacks, the smells of the ‘trosos’ and the shrieking sounds of band mills & moulding machines. In retrospect, I felt sad thinking of the demise of such a beautiful industry I had been a part of. What were left are memories… and like NALCO itself, its memories will slowly die away, sooner or later…

My soliloquy was disrupted when we touched down at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) at 5:30 in the afternoon. Our brief sojourn at KKIA nursed us with the first Malaysian phrase we learned … “Selamat Datang”, apparently same as Indonesia’s “Welcome”. Being a smoker myself, the next words that caught my wits were “Dilarang Merokok”, meaning “No Smoking”. To my subliminal relief, I found the next words I should grasp, “Bilir Merokok”, meaning “Smoking Room”. And there it was my friends, together with my unacquainted cohorts, we found ourselves silently savoring the aroma of the white whiffs within the four corners of the so-called (in my own lingo) “Oxygen Room” sometimes referred to as “Lung Center” by others. Then, there was the “Tandas” or Toilet. Similar to other travelers, one’s system must always be leaking and thus one must know where the Tandases are.

[My wife Mimi exploring KKIA's Duty Free Shops]


THE KOTA KINABALU AIRPORT

At the outset, airports always fascinate me. An international airport is said to be the window of the soul of a country or region it represents. As a reflection of what the country is all about, international airports are in fact, national prides, some describe them as national monuments. Airports somehow manifest & articulate in one way or another of the discipline of the people and the state of opulence & economic well-being of a nation.

As the forty minute stop-over at Kota Kinabalu tendered me of some insights, I found myself drifted into comparing Kota Kinabalu International Airport to our own Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), both second only to the main hubs of Kuala Lumpur and Manila respectively.

Kota Kinabalu Airport at present is rated at 5.0 million passengers per year same as Mactan Cebu International Airport but with a runway stretching 3,780 meters (480 meters longer than MCIA). It has two terminal buildings compared to MCIA’s only one. But the airport itself is bustling of massive construction going on today in a project to accommodate Airbus 380 aircrafts and an ambitious 12 million annual passenger capacity by 2010.

Terminal 1 is the main terminal of KKIA. At present its technical facilities include 12 gates, 5 air-bridges, and 4 baggage claim belts. It has the capacity of handling 3.0 million passengers annually. Today, the terminal building is currently undergoing vast renovation and expansion – a beehive snapshot of activities that can not escape the eyes. Noteworthy, Kota Kinabalu is in the thick of constructing more than twice as large as the present airport.

With Terminal 1 temporarily out of service, operation of KKIA concentrates momentarily at Terminal 2. What is today’s Terminal 2 used to be the original terminal building of the airport when it was first built. It is accessed and located on the other side of the runway from Terminal 1. Newly renovated, it has 26 check-in counters for domestic & international flights and six parking bays for B737 and A320 aircrafts as well as seven luggage x-ray machines, a VIP room and 13 immigration counters. The terminal has the capacity to handle another 2.0 million passengers annually.


[Another view of KKIA's Passenger Transit Area & Duty Free Shops]

As earlier stated, KKIA will be rated at 12.0 million annual passenger capacity by 2010 – a feat that will soon drown Cebu’s MCIA to oblivion. I was told that a monorail tunnel connecting both terminal buildings will be constructed as part of the on-going project. Beyond 2010, the Cebuanos will be seen wafting to indifference to our MCIA’s dignity. It is because our very own pride won’t even warrant a comparison by then.



ARRIVAL AT KUALA LUMPUR

Our next league from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) required two hours & thirty minutes (almost the same as Cebu to Hong Kong flight).

At 9:00 PM we set foot at one of the awesome prime hubs of the region – the very airport said to have bested the grandeurs of competitors Chek Lap Kok of Hongkong and the Changi Airport of Singapore. Forget about our airports in Manila - they won’t fit any comparison.

[A partial view of Kuala Lumpur International Airport]

True to its billing, I learned that KLIA was voted as the World's Best Airport for two consecutive years, in the 2005 AETRA awards and 2006 ACI-ASQ awards.

Today, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) boasts of a capacity of 25 million passengers per annum and is one of the largest and most advanced airports in the world. It is positioned as the transit point linking the world to the rest of Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific countries. It took 25,000 workers from 50 countries (including Filipino expats, engineers & technicians) and three years to build the KLIA on a 10,000 hectares area at a cost of RM10 billion (roughly PhP 100 billion) at the time of construction.

KLIA is a destination in itself as it has within its boundaries all which is needed for business, entertainment and relaxation. Designed as a leading regional hub, the airport was built in a jungle with features that allow flexibility for future expansion. It prides itself of a Golf Course and Formula 1 Racing tracks for Malaysia Petronas Grand Prix including motorcycle and rally racing. By 2020, the KLIA will eventually comprise two main terminals and four satellite buildings.

Nowhere else in the world, KLIA is also dubbed as the 'Airport in the Forest' or a 'Forest in the Airport' that creates a green and nature frindly spectacle - soothing the nerves of tired travelers. Literally, the airport is situated amidst a forest and the airport itself has a forest literally & physically in it. There are more than 100 species of indigenous plants & trees including the manila palm (coconut trees) in the forest within the airport.

The airport will soon in 2020 have a total capacity of 100 million passengers annually. Wow! Amazingly pleasant…!


THE ARRIVAL WING OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING

OMG! The airport building by itself is spectacular - built as if they are mammoth cathedrals interconnected in five storey edifices. Designed by the renowned Japanese philosopher-architect Kisho Kurokawa, KLIA is a futuristic setting that saw us effortlessly toying as if weightless on travelators in a space station. Very spacious and serene in the arrival wings, I noticed no other people except the incoming passengers ourselves amidst in a great dose of signages, glass walls & windows, stainless steel frameworks and sovereign shiny tiled floors.

[Part of KLIA's Arrival Corridor]

The enclosures for the buildings are not conventional walls - they are a myriad of geometrically formed steel structures supporting the glass skin that enable a non-obstructed view from the inside of building, thus providing an integration of a royalty environment housed in the utter majesty of the buildings.

The columns are shaped into conical figures - apparently mimicking the trunks of palm oil trees. All the columns' surfaces are finished with granite in a mixture of grayish and stainless steel colored structures. On top of these, the parabolic ceilings in timber finish are somehow shaped like surging waves. The exotic lighting in effect looks like the leaf of the palm trees. The floors are tiled granite in Islamic geometric pattern. The ceiling with down-lighters randomly seemed to have been reflecting a multitude of stars and heavenly bodies in a clear cloudless night sky.

And … all very clean, clinically sterile, no eyesores whatsoever…

The airport as of today is capable of accommodating 25 million passengers annually. By 2020, passenger traffic is expected to reach more than 70 million. The annual cargo-handling capacity is presently 650,000 tons. This will be increased to 1.2 million tons. And construction milestones for expansions had already been laid out to meet the burgeoning needs.

The KLIA at present has 46 aerobridge gates, two state-of-the-art runways and 106 aircraft stands. About 1,300 security television cameras are installed all over the airport.
[Part of the KLIA's Arrival Wing]

There are two ‘aero-trains’ each connecting the Main Terminal to Satellite Buildings for international departures can carry 250 people in one trip. As complimentary transportation system, the areo-trains shuttle to & fro passengers between the Main Terminal Building and the Satellite Building. Each aero-train operates at two minutes interval. Unmanned just like its Hongkong counterparts, they are automatically & remotely controlled.


THE MALAYSIAN PRIDE EXEMPLIFIED

The harmonious & workable integration of modern technology overlaid with the national culture has after all proven to be achievable as showcased in the KLIA. Malaysia’s modernized ethnic architecture interwoven together with national pride is imbedded in what one can see in the airport.

Remember, Malaysia is said to be an epitome of Palm Oil Economy. And there it is, in a gesture of gratefulness to the value of a prime natural resource, the airport itself is a sculpture of such pride. Aside from potent petrol, Malaysia’s economy thrives in agriculture. The Palm Oil Tree plantations as can be seen from the plane bear awesome witnesses of the immaculate respect and preservation of such natural legacies. As I would learn later, foods of any kind is abundant and are reasonably priced.

[KLIA's Immigration Area. Note the conical columns, the surging wave ceiling, the palm leaf lighting system & the immaculate floors]

As early as the first day, I couldn’t help but ponder on the appalling mysticism of Malaysian nationalistic fervor. “Satu Warisan, Satu Matlamat” translated as “One Legacy, One Destiny” … as the striking national motto of Malaysia goes.

I wondered, in the Philippines, we once had “Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa”, or “Philippines 2000”… and the other semantics which I won’t desire to remember anymore. Those could have been great visions. But where are we now? Quo Vadis, Philippines?

The Philippines was once upon a time the model of Malaysians in the past. Even our ways of doing things had found dressed in prevalent patterns in Malaysians operational systems. Their journalism too, it has blueprints of what is Filipino. Our business schools as AIM and others were once heavens to them. Ask the successful business managers in Kuala Lumpur and they will tell you, most of them graduated from Ateneo, UP, La Salle or AIM.

It's worthy to mention that Malaysia has just been in its 50th year of nationhood after the British governance. It's a young state so to speak as compared to the Philippines. With this wonderment, I later found myself verbalizing the question as to how Malaysia soared high in such a short time.

I found one answer. As one night manager of our hotel said, “Like the Philippines, there is also corruption in Malaysia. The only difference is that: in Malaysia, only 10% goes to corruption, while in the Philippines, only 10% goes to the project”.

I felt mortified, whether it is true or not, I felt ashamed on the impression.


(To be continued… abangan ang susunod na kabanata)

PACQUIAO & BARRERA - A STUDY IN CONTRAST

PACQUIAO & BARRERA: A STUDY IN CONTRAST
(A Footnote to their Mandalay Duel)

By Ronald Francis M. Dompor
October 9, 2007

DOOD’s Note: Ronald Francis Dompor is a good friend of this blogger and a townmate from Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. A CPA and Finance person by training, he is presently the SVP-COO of Fast Distribution Corp (a company of the Fast Logistics Group).

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N.B.: I had the opportunity to feast on Doods Amora’s Will to Win Part 2 while it was still hot from the frying pan late last night. Besides being friends, I am also an avid fan of Doods’ great sports writing and cutting edge electrical engineering. This guy must be one of the silent disciples of the legendary Homer Sayson, everyone’s idol.

This is my attempt at serving pandesal and hot coffee after the feast.

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I am not a boxing expert. I’m only an average sports-minded Pinoy, like most of you. Regardless, I want to write something about this fight - from the viewer’s seat – not technical, maybe an ode to two great men.

The Body Language

From the get-go Manny Pacquaio and Marco Antonio Barrera wore contrasting faces.

Barrera was all tight-lipped and grim looking. He had this look on his face that conveyed tension, far from being the baby-faced assassin that he had been hyped up all his boxing life. That night, he looked more like the guy facing the gallows. (He might as well be, for Pacquiao was every bit the firing squad.) Oh, come on! We are all familiar with that kind of look. It’s the way we look in the mirror when facing the final exams in differential calculus, complete with the mixed feeling – the anxiety, the resolve to pass it, copying or no copying, and the false threat of suicide in case of failure.

In contrast Manny had that look of undisturbed peace, breaking into boyish smiles every now and then. Signs of “showbiz” stage presence of which he is not found wanting. His calmness was unmistakable – the kind of calm that comes before the storm. Beneath the surface, you could almost feel the humming machine inside. Taken from another angle, he looked more like an accomplished sabungero in his elements, except that he, too, was the manok in this mano-a-mano.

What kind of raw passions do you think these two protagonists carried into the ring, you may ask. This I can tell you, not from experience but from being observant ( I am obliged to secure my position first with a safe and harmless preamble lest my wife gets the wrong drift on this yarn).

Manny was every inch the lover boy in the hunt for a stolen kiss or an eventual conquest. He was ready to test every chance he could get. Like a true aggressor he was the opportunist all the way. But Marco was not in the mood to oblige him. Like a virgin that had never been touched, he guarded his chastity with all his might. Never an unguarded moment was his battle cry. He was ministry of defence personified all night and he showed an uncanny mastery of the art of breaking away round after round. Barrera’s agenda was different.

Agenda at Mandalay

I am not one given to disparage Marco Barrera’s handling of the fight. No matter how good our scripts may be in life, many times we act out these scripts in accordance with the true sentiments that come out of our mental maps. Didn’t we all hear it from Oscar de la Hoja himself that Marco that night refused to let go of this hands? Where was the assassin?

I will take this playful thread from Doods Amora’s theory of acquittal. Barrera’s mental map all along was for him to win an acquittal from the horrors of another beating in the hands of Pacquaio, as Doods said it well in his piece. Marco was every inch the man on trial, not Manny. In the bar of public opinion, Marco Barrera had been pronounced guilty of a knock-down long before fight night. The burden to prove his innocence round after round was his and so Marco played this agenda quite well starring himself as his own five-star defense lawyer all the way from beginning to end while Manny, in contrast, came in like a well-heeled prosecutor with a preponderance of evidence from bell to bell, as shown in the judges score cards and hit ratings. The crowd merely counted down the rounds and the elapsed minutes and waited eagerly for the fall of Barrera.

And that my friends, I think, defined the character of the fight in Mandalay. Manny came in with a “play to win” offensive attitude, Marco with a “ play not to lose” defensive mindset. Losing by knock-out was not his idea of an ending of a glorious career. Lasting the distance without incident and finishing in one piece with what’s left of his Mexican pride was the only acceptable choice. It was Barrera’s swan song as he rides into the sunset. His wife and children were all there with him that night. No wonder, the assassin in Barrera was nowhere to be found. The hunter in fact became the hunted. And being a wily fighter that he is, he knew how to avoid the traps.

And so the fight became more technical and tactical, like a court battle between two legal tacticians, each one waiting for the other to make a mistake on technicality. More acoustics fighting and saber-rattling, than a fight to the death.

And since we didn’t smell of death in Mandalay , we might as well talk of the other reality in life – taxes – and how it played out in that great fight. Its like Manny Pacquaio being the tax-man wanting to make his quota and pogi points for the bureaucracy, while Marco kept running away, tax-evading. In the end, Marco wriggled out ( read: “won”) with a compromise deal through an amnesty from a knock-out tax assessment. (Try getting a BIR assessment yourself!) Graceful exit isn’t it? A man graduating with full retirement benefits of $ 2 m plus a share of pay-per view shouldn’t be taking unnecessary risks. Human nature. And there is nothing disgraceful there. That he didn’t do enough was part of avoiding the traps. Hey, sex in the city might be illegal, but Marco’s acquittal and amnesty was fair and square, okay? The only thing illegal there was the sneak blow in the 11th at the referee’s break.

Why The Cry for Blood

Amazing this boxing in our country. At no time in our national life have we seen women as engrossed in boxing as our menfolk are other than now. Check this one out for yourself in your own spheres. At least in our office, many of the ladies were also glued to their tv sets that Sunday and most of them thought the game was a bum. I asked why? They said there was no knock-out or knock-down. (Choker. Way lami).

So our women are not just engrossed in soap-opera! I’m not a psychologist but isn’t this a clue that indeed our society is matriarchal? I’m ashamed to admit it in writing. Men’s turfs are getting scarcer. Women too cried for Barrera’s blood ( or anyone of Manny’s opponents) which means Pinays indeed have balls.

Is this good or bad? Take the positive side.

If there is anything to value from this hypothesis, it is for the menfolk to never underestimate the power of women. Husband be careful with wife. (Nah, the better operative word is respect). Be careful not to provoke her. The cry for blood is not borne out of desperate housewives (pun intended) but by reason of survival. Many families survive because of the wife’s quiet leadership, intuitive abilities and entrepreneurial resilience. There! But lest you think I’m after women’s vote because I’m running for office in the coming baranggay elections, I’ll be quick with a disclaimer: No I’m not.

Again why ask for blood?

Because it seemed like it is engrained in our brains that boxing matches are won only when an opponent kisses the canvass. Knock-downs are not necessarily the be-all and end-all in boxing, although it is desirable - like a climax in sex is desirable, but not all the time. As what this Pacquiao-Barrera fight teaches us, there is what you call a beautiful points-win where you don’t necessarily land the knock-out punches. But a win or a conquest just the same. These are the almost-but-not- quite sort of things that make you want for more on the return bouts. Some nights go like that. That’s my take on the cry for blood, be it from a man’s point of view, or from a woman’s. But if you are unconvinced and you have some more questions, go ask Dr. Margarita Holmes. (Harharhar! I hope I didn’t stir the hornet’s nest).

So the fight was tactical and technical, as pure boxing could be and not much of a brawl. It’s like the dance of tango of two latin lovers - all steps and motions, either man or woman pretending to clash laterally only to disengage and pause for another attempt at unleashing earthly passions on the next wave. So this is why they call it the sweet art of boxing, huh?

The Manny and Marco Song and Dance

A capitalist would readily see the value proposition here for the two gentlemen to be pitted in a Pacquaio-Barrera III episode. After all, the die had been cast when Manny gamely raised Marco’s hands during the post-fight press conference in a display of fine manners, and later joined Marco’s family in a photo opportunity. Talk of political skills.

No, the appearance for trilogy’s sake will not happen inside the ring. It will be under the klieg lights.

If I were SMC’s Mr. Ramon Ang, I’ll bring in both Manny and Marco on a San Miguel commercial advertisement deal. That would be the blockbuster of a knock-out engagement everyone had been looking for, like the one of Manny Pacquaio and Erick Morales.

And what could be the repartee?

Marco: “Totoong maginoo ka, Manny!

Manny: “Sa totoong buhay, ang may pinagsamahan ay yaman ng pagkakaibigan. Yan ang hindi nakukuha lamang sa beer na beer!”

Ah, that one could ignite the next nuclear wars of San Miguel and Manila Beer! A certified public brawl store to store replete with promo girls and price-cutting.

Beer anyone?

Cheers!

// Ronald Francis “Franz” M. Dompor, Cebu City

'THE WILL TO WIN'

‘THE WILL TO WIN’
(Part 2)

PACMAN-BARRERA II is over!

The hype, rumors and the early fireworks must have now been to the drain…

And as many predicted - a second win it was for Pacquiao!

On his way to full retirement, the Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera announced to park for good the ‘beautiful sport of boxing’ – the sport that had built him a fortune in proportions not consumable in his entire lifetime.

For Pacman’s side, all’s well that ends well. Again, it was coronation time to higher greatness and he too will again be ensconced in a mega-buck payday to refuel the sapped coffers following that political misadventure to congress. And if he plays his cards well, he shall have more of these premium paychecks in the near future.

To the boxing fans, it was not what they wanted to see… Short of action, there was no eruption into an “all-out war”! Many were surprised that Barrera made it to the distance. And many were questioning why Pacquiao was not able to dispose of Barrera early…


MY CRYSTAL BALL

The first part of the article ‘THE WILL TO WIN’ saw both the accuracies and lapses in my crystal ball…

The rematch did not turn out to be a brawl as I pre-certified. Its product showed both combatants playing cautious tactical games en-route to an ashen finish.

It did not manifest the much-ballyhooed blood & guts imprimatured in their brutal one-sided first encounter. Except for a round or two sporadic detonations, the battle to many fans, was boring. It did not feature the excitement everybody had been expecting.

The boxing world anticipated that Barrera would once again show the fearless bell-to-bell exchanges as in his trilogy with Morales and the schooling he made to the eely Prince Hamed. What we saw was Marco’s reluctance to exchange charges - evocative of the second Barrera-Rocky Juarez fight.

REPLICATING HISTORY

Pacman’s victory, once again in an onerous mode had replicated history but in a different tune. Four years ago in San Antonio, Texas, the Pacman dismantled Barrera in a spectacular fashion. This time, the boxing public asked for more blood and tension.

But then, the Pacman was not able to ‘devour the viscerals out of the Mexican’. Nobody ‘kissed the canvas for good’ even for a few moments.

The absence of wicked passions, the anemic drama and the insufficient action; all these negated the color & luster of the much-awaited rematch as the touted ‘classic bout’ reducing itself into the pages of pallid history.

And nobody ever noticed the ‘Marco Bolo’… Perhaps, the sharpening had not been good enough…


THE WILL TO WIN?

Contrary to publicity, Marco Antonio Barrera showed no will to win. He contented himself in boxing and countering, not being aggressive enough as he should be, if he willed to win.

Probably because of his high esteem to the Pacman - he had already tasted the acidic fire in their first encounter. Or Barrera to his mind might have only coasted to perform his farewell assignment in the comfort zone.

He was cautious not to be knocked out. To survive the distance, Barrera did not engage into a head-on collision with his tormentor. He must remain standing to the last bell. He must be gracious in his exit…

That appeared to be the strategy. Amidst the total secrecy of his training camp, he promised to shock the boxing fans. And the world was indeed shocked, when he elected not to fight toe-to-toe as he had famously done before. In this fight, the fabled Mexican pride in Barrera was not even noticeable… Why?

In fact, Barrera willed not to win. He willed to survive…!

Barrera reported for duty fresh, fit and ready - 130 pounds at weigh-in and 138 pounds at fight night as compared to Pacquiao’s skeletal apparition-like 130 lbs during the weigh-in. Marco obviously was not the under-trained, under-prepared and the over-confident Barrera four years ago at the Alamodome…

Although the aged Barrera is retireable, he showed that he was not yet ‘washed-up & weary’. The veteran this time showed that he was hard to hit and Pacman had to work hard for his points.

But Barrera must have realized that the foe he was facing in Las Vegas was not the same uni-directional clumsy charging bull he fought in 2003, but a good tactician as well. As many must have noticed, Pacquiao most of the 12 rounds fought Barrera’s brand of the so-called ‘sweet science’. And Manny Pacquiao did it well.


THE SWEET SCIENCE

Of course, Marco worked on his homework, anticipating Pacman’s one-dimensional attacks. But Pacquaio to his trademark had metamorphosed into a well-rounded power-boxer with much improved lateral footwork and ring savvy. Confused, Barrera could not do anything else. Admittedly frustrated he lost his cool in a number of rounds.

Manny’s defense in terms of unrelenting offense & effective aggression was too much, too strong and too fast for Barrera’s predicament. As I said in the first article, it takes a Superman to sustain the stamina needed for the Pacman’s style.

And Manny proved that he could be as technical as Barrera himself! As Barrera admitted, “Manny had a good defense”.

The technical side of the episode showed that Pacquiao did not give Barrera windows of opportunity to counter-punch effectively; but at the same time, Manny failed to make the most of his multiple combinations to hit Barrera at will. But as the fight went on, it became visible that Barrera although successful in luring Pacquiao to his range, failed to unleash, except for a few instances, any outstanding counter-attacks.

And as the rounds unfolded, Marco Antonio Barrera, the pride of Mexico, may have avoided Manny Pacquiao’s best power shots but not the outcome. Barrera must have recognized by then that Murphy’s Law was not in his side.


THE BEST PART OF THE BOUT

Round 11, the best canto in the fight…

With traces of great battles, at last the two protagonists traded heavily in the eleventh. Then Pacquiao landed a right hand to the mid-section followed by a big left to the face, in the process opening a nasty cavernous cut under Barrera’s right eye while sending Marco to the verge of a knockdown.

The fans roared and stood up… including us and the millions watching on TV.

With Manny delivering another right uppercut and a straight left, oh my God, Barrera’s submission became more imminent. This was the moment of truth…! The flash we had been all waiting for!

But then the two scrambled and referee Tony Weeks stepped in to break…

Then came Barrera’s best shot! As the referee administered the break, a frustrated Barrera appallingly landed a huge overhand right to the side of Manny’s face - hurting Pacquiao.

As the boxing world watched in awe, what was Barrera’s best shot of the night turned out to be illegal, prompting a point deduction by the referee.

How could Barrera do that! Barrera’s woes only worsened at this time… and the world bore witness to it! Barrera’s camp knew he had to lose…!


THE WINNING

In the end, Pacman’s win was conclusive, though less imposing than the explosive performances that the boxing world have grown to look forward to.

Accounting a one-sided affair, the judges’ cards showed 118-109, 118-109, and 115-112 all in favor of Pacquiao.

CompuBox reported that Pacquiao’s work rate outlanded Barrera, 249-111 in power punches. Pacquiao connected 37 percent of his bombs, while Barrera landed just 21 percent.

In my book, if the rounds were hard to decide, I gave them generously to Barrera. In the end, I gave only two rounds for the Baby Faced Assassin.

But Barerra, performed splendidly! As a Law student he must have been familiar in acquittal, as Marco smartly eked out himself from the horrors of their first encounter! In the first fight, his corner threw in the towel, this time Barrera hung on standing upright until the end of the final round. That was big victory, in his own terms…!

And Marco was correct; he is going to be a lawyer – a master of the art of acquittal.


THE SCARY MOMENTS

The sudden change of heart from LA to Cebu training camp posed some questioning eyebrows on Manny’s indifference. It can be recalled that the extravaganza in the Cebu Camp raised doubts in Pacquiao’s focus on Barrera and had since been yielding contradicting reports.

When Manny was set to sail for the USA, it was reported that he had no problem with his weight. The training strategy was perfect! But on the eve of the fight there was that mysterious excess poundage of the boxing hero. Truth to tell, although with hardened muscles, Pacquiao checked in like a ghost in skeletal form - reminiscent of a similar trouble in Thailand when he was stripped of his WBC flyweight crown and was knocked out the following day.

Yes, you and I were scared… I knew!

Manny was reportedly 144 lbs during fight night, against Barrera’s 138. As experts say, it takes two days to recover from this situation…, could Manny pull through after that sheer dehydration and famish determination?

That’s water under the bridge now. Manny won in a conclusive way, anyway. No doubt about it. But the scary moments lingered. What if Manny faced Juan Manuel Marquez in the same night?

Freddie Roach admittedly said that “Manny was 80% in the Barrera fight”. Understandably my friends, Barrera as I said was retireable and with Manny as the opponent, he could never turn the tide up to his favor. To me, even if Manny was only 60%, he could still be victorious with Barrera!

Again, the question is, “what if Manny faced Juan Manuel Marquez in the same night”?


THE AFTERMATH

The aftermath of the bout saw the re-emergence of the Mexican pride…

When asked what the difference was between this fight from that of 2003, Barrera replied: “The difference was that in the first one, I felt all his punches. Tonight, I did not feel them. But he is still very big, very strong.”

Hahaha, tell that to the marines!

Barrera must have been sitting on his laurels after he survived the Pacman’s onslaughts. It was a victory in his own right; and indeed it was!

But, after all the factors considered; clearly, it was Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino, who had all the will to win…! Whether you like it or not, it was destiny, so to speak…

See you then in Pacman – Marquez II.

DOODS A. AMORA, PEE
October 8, 2007