MANILA, Philippines—The pay-per-view (PPV) figures are out and Manny Pacquiao can sit back, relax and start counting his financial bonanza that runs to about P537.6 million ($11.2 million).

That amount, which exceeds his guaranteed purse, is the minimum that Pacquiao will get. He stands to earn more from his share of live gate receipts and merchandise sales for pulverizing Oscar De La Hoya in their Dream Match on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The news on Pacquiao’s earnings from the megabucks encounter came the same day he was honored in a rousing motorcade through Metro Manila amid a drizzle.

According to the numbers released by HBO, Pacquiao’s fight with De La Hoya on Saturday in Las Vegas generated an outstanding 1.25 million PPV buys, which, at $54.95 per buy, translates to nearly $70 million (P3.36 billion at an exchange rate of $1:P48) in revenue.

Half of that amount ($35 million) will be divided between De La Hoya, who’ll get the lion’s share of 68 percent, and Pacquiao, who’ll get 32 percent, or $11.2 million.

Bucking the worldwide recession, the lopsided bout which ended when the favored De La Hoya was unable to continue after the eighth round drew a packed crowd of over 15,000 at the MGM Grand Arena and became the most successful PPV event this year.

Proving the global appeal of the protagonists—De La Hoya is the sport’s undisputed top attraction and Pacquiao is the acknowledged best pound-for-pound fighter—the match became only the fourth non-heavyweight bout to breach one million PPV buys ever.

Expectations exceeded

And De La Hoya, the 35-year-old, 10-time world champion now being urged to retire following the worst beating of his career, had been involved in all of them, including the all-time record of 2.15 million buys and $120 million in revenue posted when he bowed to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 7, 2007.

Though a star attraction himself, Pacquiao’s best PPV performance was only 405,000 buys when he wrested the World Boxing Council junior lightweight title from Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in March.

The Dream Match, already ninth in all-time PPV hits, may yet climb a little higher up the ladder as it is expected to reach 1.35 million buys when the final tally comes in, based on previous results.

“It (PPV buys) exceeded expectations,” Rex “Wakee” Salud, a close friend and confidant of Pacquiao, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net). “The target was just a million buys.”

With his new-found fame and his reputation as a fearless, skillful fighter, Pacquiao can look forward to more megabucks fights against other renowned boxers, like Mayweather and British superstar Ricky Hatton.

Agreeing with Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach, Salud said he’d rather that Pacquiao battle Hatton first before tackling Mayweather, who has expressed his willingness to come out of retirement to reclaim his title as pound-for-pound king.

Their worlds stopped

Thursday, thousands of Metro Manila residents spilled out of their homes, office workers left their desks, while motorists stopped their cars as Pacquiao rode through the metropolis on a truck to hear the cheering of a people that seemed to have finally found a genuine hero.

Some hurriedly left their baths to have a look at their idol.

On Dapitan Street, a 20-year-old woman rushed out into the street wearing only a towel, clutching it close to her body, so it would not fall. On Blumentritt, a man also clad only in a towel, stood bravely on a street island.

“Manny, Manny,” schoolchildren screamed as the convoy drove past a schoolhouse. Elsewhere, others shouted, “Manny, pahinging balato! (Give me a share!).”

It was as though, even for the briefest moment, their worlds had stopped, their problems had disappeared, and only the man in white waving from a truck mattered in their lives.

Honoring God

Motorists got off their vehicles to wave, while one woman aboard a sport utility vehicle sat in the window to cheer. Others rolled down their windows while some climbed to the roofs of their vehicles for a look.

As the convoy rolled through Tondo, residents lined up on the streets cried “balato,” and the smiling Pacquiao gave the crowd a laugh by pretending to reach into his pants pocket.

At Plaza Moriones, women showered him with violets. The motorcade was briefly stalled along Tayuman near the Pritil market and an admirer asked Pacquiao to sign his pair of boxing gloves. The champ obliged.

The deeply religious boxer made the Sign of the Cross as the motorcade passed through Immaculate Conception parish. Some onlookers wondered at the gesture, only to realize that a church was nearby.

Financial district

Past noon, a sound system mounted on a vehicle announced Pacquiao’s arrival on Ayala Avenue in the Makati financial district: “Here comes the champion.”

Throngs of people, from uniformed office workers to street sweepers and bystanders, lined up on the sidewalks and snapped Pacquiao’s picture. Women shrieked. Other employees leaned out of office windows.

Basking in the people’s warmth, Pacquiao waved muttering thank you.

“Manny, you’re the best,” a woman cried out as the float drove past the Bank of the Philippine Islands building.

Most in the crowed chanted his name, others simply clapped.

As the motorcade drove past, one man limped away with a swelling foot after one of the cars struck him.

On Makati Avenue, Pacquiao got off and hopped into a white Ford Expedition with Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, which drove up to the Pag-IBIG pension fund building.

Employees threw down a rain of confetti as Pacquiao walked into the lobby to be welcomed by Vice President Noli de Castro, the Pag-IBIG chair.

“I’ve been helping people by giving food. This time I’m looking into giving away houses,” Pacquiao said. He said he would be talking with De Castro on the details of the project.

Breakfast at DENR

When two employees approached him, also asking for balato, or a token share from his winnings, Pacquiao retorted good-naturedly, “You want balato? Buo pa e. (I don’t have change).” The crowd erupted in laughter.

Earlier in the day, Pacquiao also received a hero’s welcome from some 300 employees at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) offices in Quezon City, where his friend Atienza treated him to a sumptuous breakfast.

In a short speech, Pacquiao said: “I gave the fight my best for the honor and the country and to make our people happy.”

Then he sat down to a breakfast of fried rice, beef tapa, adobo, scrambled eggs, fruits and danggit.

Pacquiao reiterated to reporters his support for efforts to protect the environment and pledged a donation of P100,000 to save the Philippine eagle.

“There is no other bird like the Philippine eagle in the world. So we must do our best to take care of it and the environment and make sure they flourish,” he said.

Atienza said this was Pacquiao’s fourth donation to the effort to save the endangered eagle.

Honored by Belmonte

Pacquiao said he would gladly help the government to jump-start the stalled peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“I am open to help for lasting peace,” he said.

Pacquiao dodged talk that he would be throwing his hat into the political ring in 2010, saying now was not the time to talk politics.

Pacquiao received deafening applause as he paid a courtesy call on Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. at Quezon City Hall.

He looked every inch the victor as he raised his fists beside the seasoned politicians Belmonte and Atienza.

In a white barong, he received a symbolic key to Quezon City from Belmonte.

“The key to the city is proof of our love for him. He did a very great thing for our country,” Belmonte told the Inquirer.

Asked about Pacquiao’s reported plan to seek a congressional seat in Quezon City, the mayor gave a hearty chuckle.

But in unsolicited advice, Belmonte said that should Pacquiao quit boxing and enter politics, “I think I would urge him to run for senator instead of congressman. He would be able to use his popularity that way.”

Hundreds of city hall employees greeted Pacquiao amid the blare of a brass band. With reports from Alcuin Papa, Julie M. Aurelio, and Miko Morelos