When Manny Pacquiao said he’s dedicating his boxing match with WBC lightweight champ Mexican American David Diaz on June 28, 2008 to the victims of the Typhoon Frank, it’s the best the fighter can do for the Filipinos. At a time when there has been much to despair about in a country rocked by unsolved scandals and natural calamities, Pacquiao dashed out in the wind to stand firmly on his word.

On Saturday, in the Mandalay Bay Events in Las Vegas, Nevada, the boxer from Gen. Santos City electrified the nation anew with a record-breaking performance.

Although the slow pace of justice in the Philippines has been repeatedly criticized, the verdict on the Julia Campbell case must be the blue print of how fast cases must be resolved. After more than year of investigation, confessed Benguet killer Juan Donald Duntugan, a 25 year-old woodcarver, was sentenced to 40 years in prison without parole. He was asked to pay P39 million in damages to the Campbell family.

10%
-The percentage price of one gallon of gasoline Saudis pay (45 cents) compared to Americans who pay $4.50/gallon on the pump.

P11.583 billion-The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCCl’s ) estimate of Typhoon Frank’s destructiveness. The amount constitutes 96.5% of the total expenditure the country shells out each year, covering an average of 20 typhoons, costing about P12,000 billion.