MANILA, Philippines—For a brief moment, the faces behind the byline took the spotlight.

Citing the sportswriters’ role in the development of Philippine sports, three of the country’s top sports figures whipped up a seed money worth P2.5 million for the establishment of a media foundation.

Telecommunication tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan and Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao donated P1 million each and Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping also threw in half a million for the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) in a surprise announcement during the San Miguel Corporation-PSA Awards Night at the Alegria Lounge of the Manila Pavilion late Friday night.

“We’ve helped the athletes a great deal already, but I’m not sure if we’ve helped the writers who cover sports; so what I would like you to do is set up a foundation for the benefit of sportswriters,” Pangilinan, the patron of Philippine boxing and president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, said in his speech.

Pangilinan, the top honcho of Philippine Long Distance Company and Smart Communications, made the initial pledge minutes before receiving the Sports Patron of the Year award.

Angping took the cue and added P500,000 to the cause, before Pacquiao capped the one-night windfall with another cool million.

“It’s my way of giving back to the Filipino sportswriters who helped me; they’ve become a great part of my success in boxing,” Pacquiao said in Filipino after receiving the PSA Athlete of the Year and Hall of Fame awards, the top citations in the annual ceremony hosted by the 60-year-old media organization.

“We truly appreciate the kindness offered by these fine gentlemen to the entire PSA,” said Aldrin Cardona, president of the fraternity composed of editors and reporters of the country’s top broadsheets and tabloids.

Cardona said Pangilinan wants the foundation to help sports journalists in need and will be managed by an independent body made up of PSA members and officials to be named by the telecommunications tycoon.
“The PSA will come up with guidelines after consultations with everyone involved to make sure the foundation will function as it should,” Cardona explained.