President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited Tuesday night the late boxing legend Gabriel "Flash" Elorde as instrumental in the meteoric rise in boxing history of newly-crowned World Boxing Council super- featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao.

At the ceremonies held at the Elorde Hall of Fame at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel, the President said Elorde's boxing gym provided the training ground for Pacquiao and other boxing athletes to hone their skills and be given a chance to rise out of poverty.

“Before there was Manny Pacquiao, there was Flash Elorde,” she said.

She said that because of the friendship and camaraderie born out of training under Elorde, the late boxing legend and Pacquiao developed similarities worth emulating by the youth.

"Both (Elorde and Pacquiao) have a lot in common: knockout punches, unwielding spirit, both hail from humble beginnings, both remain humble even when fame and fortune had blessed them, both put the Philippines on the sports map, both are worthy role models of our youth," the President stressed.

Elorde was the longest-reigning world junior lightweight champion and the toast of the boxing world from 1960 to 1967. The extraordinary feat, which made Elorde one of the world's greatest boxers of all time, earned for him a niche in the International Boxing Hall of Fame – the first Filipino to be so honored after pre-war legend Pancho Villa.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, holds the distinction of being the very first Asian to hold titles in three different weight categories--the world super-featherweight, flyweight, and junior-featherweight.

He wrested the WBC crown by split decision from Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez on March 16 in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao becomes the first Elorde Hall of Famer after successfully fulfilling the body's stringent requirement of being awarded the Boxer of the Year Award for seven years.*

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