http://philboxing.com/news/story-84032.html
June 6 2013
The journey of Filipino boxer Ryan Rey Ponteras to Okinawa, Japan last week may not have ended in a success but events which transpired in the sidelines may prove to bring greater benefits to Filipinos searching for a better life.
Ponteras, who should have won by TKO after his Japanese opponent Go Onaga quit in the fourth round of their 8 round fight, was declared loser by disqualification.
But the bigger winner in my trip to Okinawa would be the skilled workers of North Cotabato and Saranggani who now may have a chance to work in Japan.
During the weigh-in of the boxers, I met former world junior welterweight champion Akinobu Hiranaka, an Okinawan, who is now a successful businessman involved in manufacturing solar board panels.
Shortly after we were introduced, Hiranaka told an interpreter that he wanted to sit down with me after the fight and discuss very important projects which he wanted to undertake with the help of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
Hiranaka, who lost his title to Fil- Am Morris East on Sept. 9, 1992, sat down with me after the fight on June 3 and said he wanted to hire at least 100 skilled Filipino workers through the help of Cong. Manny Pacquiao and myself.
He said the skilled workers are needed in his factory which fabricates solar board panels and wind driven power generators.
The interpreter said Hiranaka prefers Filipino workers because they could perform other tasks, unlike other workers whose ability to do other work outside of their contracted job description is limited.
Initially, the workers needed would be highly-skilled welders and fabricators.
Hiranaka, who has known the young Manny Pacquiao when he trained at the L & M Gym in Manila, said he would like to come to the Philippines and visit the Pacman.
“He has other business opportunities to offer to Manny Pacquiao,” the interpreter told me.
(Note: The only problem I face now in finalizing this arrangement with the former world champion is communication. Through this post, I would like to invite those who could speak and write Japanese fluently to volunteer their services. This is, of course, a paying job.)
(Photo caption: Former world junior welterweight champion Akinobu Hiranaka is shown here with former Gov. Manny Pinol in a recent meeting in Okinawa.)
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