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COVID-19 renders worldly riches valueless – Pacquiao


Filipino boxing champ and Senator Manny Pacquiao on Monday said that all the material riches in the world were of no value in the face of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation.

"Walang value 'yung pera ngayon no? Kahit ang dami mong pera, wala kang mabili, kasi lahat sarado. Kahit anong ganda ng kotse mo ngayon, wala kang mapuntahan. Kahit LV o Gucci pa suot mo, nasa bahay ka lang din naman," Pacquiao, currently under self-quarantine, said in a statement.

"In this time of crisis, you'll appreciate more all your memories and quality time with your families and friends. 'Yun lang yung meron tayong lahat ngayon," he added.

Pacquiao, ranked by Forbes in 2019 as the eighth highest-paid athlete of the decade, said that spiritual riches should instead be given more attention.

"Kaya pagtapos ng lockdown na ito, we should learn to humble ourselves na it is not the material things that we should crave for. It is about our relationship to God and the memories and the legacy that we will leave to our children," he said.

He also enjoined Filipino families to take the time to reflect on the word of God and be thankful despite the situation.

Pacquiao was quarantined after his colleagues, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel, and Sonny Angara, were found to be infected with COVID-19.

The boxing icon said he had tested negative for the illness using a rapid test kit from South Korea.

He underscored that he would only undergo confirmatory testing by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine if he manifested symptoms of COVID-19.

“I am willing to undergo a confirmatory test only if the need arises because I firmly believe that we have a lot of Persons Under Investigation or PUI who have to be prioritized in terms of testing,” Pacquiao said. — DVM, GMA News

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