Pancho Villa: First Filipino World Boxing Champion

The great symbol of the 1920s era in the Philippines was Pancho Villa, the most brilliant fighter of the period that bred such great boxers as Cabanela, Young Dencio, Frisco Concepcion, Clever Sencio, and the Flores Brothers.

Pancho Villa placed the Philippines on the map by winning boxing laurels abroad, defeating even the toughest flyweights in the United States. His fighting style was characterized by a relentless attack, a raging bull onslaught, and explosive and devastating punches.

His total fights of 105 (some only weeks in between) was a record in itself, elevating him into one of the great fighters in the history of boxing, and certainly one of the greatest Asian brawlers to step on the ring. The prestigious Ring Magazine, the bible of boxing aficionados, ranked Villa as one of the 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time.

Cover for September 1922 issue of Lipang Kalabaw magazine.
Caricature by Fernando Amorsolo.Dennis Villegas collection.

Born Francisco Guilledo in Negros Occidental on August 1, 1901, he adopted the name Pancho Villa from the name of Mexico's famous revolutionary. Villa fought exclusively in the Philippines from 1919 through April 1922, often facing much larger men. In that period of time, he lost only three fights and captured two Filipino titles. In 1922, the American boxing promoter Frank Churchill discovered Villa in one of the amateur fights in Manila. Impressed by the young man's power punches, Churchill took Villa to the United States. The young Filipino fought two no-decision bouts in New Jersey, losing-according to the newspapers, to Abe Goldstein and Frankie Genaro.

The American press and public were at first slow to take notice of Villa. Churchill had difficulty arranging fights in major venues until, for almost no money, he got Villa and another Filipino, Elino Flores, on a card at Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Each fighter won his bout, and the crowd gave Villa a standing ovation.

Cover for a September 1922 issue of Telembang magazine.
Portrait by Fernando Amorsolo.Dennis Villegas magazine collection

Three months after his arrival in the U.S., Villa knocked out American Flyweight champion Johnny Buff in the eleventh round to win the American flyweight title. To catch a glimpse of Villa's devastating attack, here's a very rare footage from his magnificent fight with Buff:

Genaro took the title back in 1923 in a 15-round decision that most observers believed belonged to Villa. Meanwhile, British flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde had come to New York seeking the world title. Wilde was then considered the best flyweight in the world. Although Genaro was a likely opponent, the now wildly popular Villa was considered a better draw.

In the much-anticipated match at New York's Polo Grounds on June 18, 1923, in front of thousands of spectators, Villa and Wilde set out for one of the most exciting fights in boxing history. Villa started slow, while Wilde started fast, throwing power punches that meant to knock-out the Filipino slugger. Villa defended successfully and threw some power punches of his own in retaliation, most of them landing and almost knocked down Wilde. In the second round and onwards, however,Villa started to display his relentless attacking style, peppering Wilde with punches from both hands. In the seventh round, Villa battered Wilde to a state of helplessness, knocking him flat, face down in canvas, ending the fight --and Wilde's career. The crowd was ecstatic with Villa's victory--shouting "Viva Villa!" "Viva Villa!"

Here's a very rare footage of that famous bout, now considered one of the greatest slug fests in boxing history:

Pancho Villa caricature by cartoonist Jorge Pineda, Lipang Kalabaw 1923.
Dennis Villegas magazine collection

Villa was known during his time as being one of the cleanest boxers, always showing concern for his opponents and immediately turning away and walking to neutral corner after knocking down his opponent. This was before there was a rule of going to a neutral corner while the downed opponent is being counted by the referee.

Villa returned to the Philippines in September 1924, amidst jubilant reception (of his countrymen, not unlike the ones we do when Manny Pacquiao returns from a successful fight). He was invited for a parade and reception at the Malacanang Palace by then Governor General Leonard Wood, together with some of the big names in Philippine politics--then Senate President Manuel Quezon and House Speaker Sergio Osmena. It was known that General Wood and Senator Quezon were not in good terms, but the presence of the world champion temporarily set aside their personal differences.

As World Champion, Villa collected into his person all the swank and swagger of the era and the whole country felt an electrifying pride in his rise from rags to riches, his fetish for the most magnificent wardrobe, his expensive silk shirts and fashionable hats, his pearl buttons and gold cuff links, and his regal servants. He had a servant to massage him, another to towel him, a valet to put on his shoes, another to help him put on his trousers, still another valet to comb his hair, to powder his cheeks, and spray him with the most expensive perfume.

The Filipinos adored his extravagance, treating him almost as their crowned king. For a time, Villa was the most beloved figure in the Philippines--he had captured the heart and admiration of his countrymen, and he well thought he deserved it. He was perhaps more idolized as a showman, than as a boxer, and he was conscious of it. Never before had the Filipinos been electrified by the pride that their own kind had become the Champion of the World.

Villa successfully defended his title several times in the U.S. and the Philippines, and for a time, was considered practically invincible in the ring. Before returning to the United States, Villa defeated in Manila another great Filipino boxer, the mighty Clever Sencio. It was destined to be Villa's final victory in the ring--and no one among the thousands of cheering spectators knew it at that time.

In 1925, Villa fought in a non-title bout with Jimmy McLarnin in Oakland, United States. Weak from the recent extraction of a wisdom tooth, Villa lost the decision. It was destined to be his last fight. Another visit to the dentist resulted in the discovery of an infection and the extraction of three more teeth. Villa ignored the dentist's instructions to rest and return for a follow-up visit, and instead indulged in a week-long party.

The infection worsened, and by the time Villa's trainer, Whitey Ekwert, discovered the fighter's distress and rushed him to the hospital, it was too late. Villa died on July 14, 1925, of Ludwig's Angina, an infection of the throat cavity. He was survived by his wife Gliceria*.

Villa's untimely death at the young age of 24 broke the nation's heart. The hysteria that possessed the masses during his funeral was the most feverish of its era. Filipinos openly wailed in the streets while their hero's casket was being borne to its sad destination.

Such was the brief but shining career of one of the greatest Filipino boxers who ever lived.

Pancho Villa's grave inside the Manila North Cemetery.
The grave is being cleaned everyday by a tomb caretaker.

In 1989, Pancho's widow Gliceria- then 84 - insisted that a gambling syndicate conspired to murder the champion because of big losses in the Villa-McLarnin non-title fight. Pancho was a heavy favorite to beat McLarnin and the syndicate placed huge amount of bet to Villa. Mrs. Guilledo claimed that her husband was injected an overdose of anesthetic on instructions of the syndicate*.

In 1994, Villa was inducted posthumously in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the second Filipino to earn the recognition--after Gabriel "Flash" Elorde.

*NY Times July 15, 1925: Villa "...died at a hospital here [San Francisco] today while undergoing an operation for an infection of the throat that developed from an infected tooth. Dr. C.E. Hoffman said the boxer suffocated under the anesthetic. Dr. Hoffman was preparing to operate when Villa's heart stopped. Artificial respiration failed to revive the patient."

Mang Tomas: Pioneer Philippine Lechonero

In the festive world of Philippine cookery, only one name will always be associated with the Philippine Lechon--Mang Tomas Delos Reyes, pioneer lechon roaster in the La Loma, Quezon City.

Mang Tomas started in the early 1950s what is now the booming lechon industry, right from the very kitchen of his house in front of the La Loma Cockpit Arena. Before that, however, Mang Tomas was just a simple provinciano meat vendor selling pork meat around the neighborhood of La Loma.

Some of Mang Tomas' customers were the cockpit aficionados in the nearby La Loma Cockpit Arena. After a day's worth of cockfights, the winners would usually buy pork meat from Mang Tomas to be roasted and served as pulutan in the merry drinking that followed. The losers, on the other hand, would have to contend to the roasted meat of their defeated roosters.

Eventually, Mang Tomas thought that he'd rather sell the ready roasted meat and charge an extra cost for the roasting labor. What he didn't know at that time was that he was already starting the big lechon industry in the Philippines.

And it went on like that day after day, after each day's cockfights, the winners would go to Mang Tomas' house for their orders of roasted meats--until Mang Tomas finally set up the first ever Lechon shop in La Loma sometime in 1954. From then on, the La Loma would no longer be a name synonymous with the La Loma Cockpit (founded 1903), nor the La Loma Cemetery (right in front of the Cockpit), but the district where Mang Tomas sold his delicious lechon, by the whole or by the kilo. Mang Tomas also invented the famous liver sauce called Sarsa ni Mang Tomas to complement the delicious lechon*.

The business flourished, and the house of Mang Tomas was expanded. He bought several meters of land at the back of his house to serve as the roasting area of the lechon. He also set up a piggery so that he can personally raise the best young pigs for his roasting. After a few years, Mang Tomas set up the Mang Tomas Restaurant to serve quick meals for the patrons who wanted to satisfy a spur-of-the moment hunger for the lechon.

Mang Tomas delos Reyes, Pioneer Philippine Lechonero
(Archival photo courtesy of Mrs. Cora delos Reyes)

Eventually, the customers of Mang Tomas expanded. No longer was the lechon the privilege of the cockpit patrons, it already became the ultimate piece de resistance of all Filipino feasts, celebrations, and gatherings. The new customers included the plain folks, the mayors, government officials, congressmen and senators, and eventually presidents and prime ministers. It was known that in 1955, President Magsaysay visited the La Loma to taste the famous Mang Tomas Lechon--eating with his bare hands the deliciously juicy meat dipped into the famous Sarsa ni Mang Tomas. From then on, the lechon became a permanent recipe on every Malacanang Palace banquets, even served to visiting foreign dignitaries who can eat pork meat. Only the Malacanang people know how many kings and queens ever tasted the lechon while on a visit to the Philippines.

The elevation of the Lechon into a national dish made it as the star of any Philippine Fiesta. In every grand wedding, baptism, or any Filipino event, the mere sight of the lechon's crisp red skin, with its tender young meat oozing with delicious juice is enough to disarm any meat-lover--taking his sight from any prepared food in the banquet into the irresistible urge to peel-off the lechon's crisp juicy skin and put into his now watery-mouth. A second picking will eventually be the juicy meat, so tender that it almost actually melts in the mouth. Never mind the cholesterol nor the calories--just for this day only, because life is a short joyful thing to possess to worry about what will happen in the future.

The lechon's taste deliciously varies with each person: according to one man I interviewed in the La Loma Fiesta, the taste is comparable to"heaven", while another could not find any suitable comparison to the lechon's taste--"nothing compares to it's taste, it's just, just so delicious, I'd be willing to travel hundreds of miles to eat it"--and the man, indeed, I found out came from Tarlac, to get a free taste of the lechon being served in the streets of La Loma that day.

The lechon indeed is delicious, no doubt about that. If it's only me, I'd rather make it into the official National Dish of the Filipinos rather than the Pritong Galunggong. But of course, this would not be practical as the lechon is quite expensive to the average Filipino wallet. At 500 pesos a kilo (roughly 10 US $), it just would not be affordable to many poor people. And of course, this idea will not be popular with our Muslim countrymen, as well as the animal rights activists. Not to mention that there is danger in eating the lechon everyday. It makes for clogged arteries and cholesterol build up in the body. So it's best that the lechon is served only once in a while--during fiestas, birthdays, gatherings, graduations, baptisms, funerals (why not?), and other feasts worth mentioning. And it's always best to just take only a morsel and enjoy a little because eating too much can bloat the stomach and bland the taste buds.

After the celebration, any left-over morsel of the lechon from yesterday's feast is transformed into yet another favorite Filipino recipe--the lechong paksiw. The left-over meat, tail, pig knuckles and crisp skin are all happily simmered into a concoction of stew made from garlic, onions, vinegar, and liver sauce. It is then served as toppings over a newly-cooked steamed rice or sinangag.

Actually, there is nothing ever lost in the lechon roasting. Even the pig's innards, removed before roasting, is transformed into a favorite Filipino snack called Sitsarong Bulaklak. The innards are salted, spiced, dried, and broiled into a crackling state, and its ready to serve with a sprinkling of Sukang Maanghang (Spicy Vinegar).

Sitsarong Bulaklak

And what about the pig's blood? It, too, is not spared, as it is cooked into a favorite Filipino dish called Dinuguan, a meat and blood stew simmered in garlic, chilies, and vinegar, and best served with rice or puto (rice cakes).

The Philippine lechon, according to Time Magazine, is one of the best roasted pig recipes around the world. And to that we give credit to Mang Tomas delos Reyes, who passed away many years ago, but gave the tradition of lechon roasting to his family, and eventually to all the other lechoneros in the La Loma. Today there are some 20 stores of lechon operating in La Loma. Some of the other big lechoneros in La Loma are Mila's, Ping Ping, Bulakena's, Monchie's, and Nelia's.

Mang Tomas' Lechon is now managed by Aling Cora delos Reyes, who continues the great tradition started by her father-in-law. Mang Tomas Lechon is located in Retiro and Calavite Sts., La Loma Quezon City--a pioneer and a giant in the lechon industry in the Philippines. Come visit and enjoy their lechon. It's really delicious.

Mang Tomas Lechon, located in the corner of Retiro and Calavite Streets,
right in front of the La Loma Cockpit Arena

Aling Cora delos Reyes with her grandchildren--heirs to the legacy of the lechon pioneered by the great Tomas delos Reyes**

La Loma, Quezon City, the Lechon Capital of the World

*The rights to the Sarsa ni Mang Tomas was eventually bought by Justice Alex and Asyang Reyes who owned the Aristocrat chain of restaurants. The Aristocart now produces in mass-quantity the Sarsa and even being exported abroad.
**Special word of thanks to Aling Cora delos Reyes of Mang Tomas Lechon for allowing me to interview and photograph her despite the day's hectic schedule of festivities. Thanks for the very tasty and mouth-watering lechon!
Special thanks also to Monchie Ferreros of Monchie's Lechon for inviting me to the sumptuous lunch during the Lechon Parade.

La Loma's Parada ng mga Lechon

It is Fiesta everyday in the La Loma district of Quezon City--the streets are always hung with flags, and in every street corner, there is someone roasting pigs. But today, the third Sunday of May, is the biggest La Loma Fiesta of all, for this is the day of the Parada ng mga Lechon (Parade of the Lechon) of the La Loma Lechoneros Association--the largest organization of pig roasters in the Philippines.

Lechon (or Litson in Tagalog) is the Philippine version of the roasted pig. The word "lechon" is derived from the Spanish "leche" which denotes that the pig to be roasted must be a suckling pig. This young pig is then stuffed with tamarind and pandan leaves, and a concoction of spices, its skin bathed in vinegar and soy sauce. It is then roasted over a charcoal pit manually turned over by a skilled roaster, until the pig's skin has become red and crisp to a crackling point, and it's meat tender and juicy. It is chopped to morsels and then served in plates, with a liberal serving of liver sauce to complement the delicious tender meat.

The La Loma's Parada ng Lechon was started in the year 2000 initiated by Monchie Ferreros, Past President of the La Loma Lechoneros Association. During the presidency of Ferreros, the council of Quezon City, together with the support of Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, officially declared La Loma to be the Lechon Capital of the Philippines. The Parada ng Lechon is a yearly event falling every third Sunday of May since the year 2000.

Manny Porkquiao vs. Piggy Hatton during the weigh-in!



Manny Porkquaio Knocks-out Piggy Hatton in the 2nd!



Juday and Ryan Getting Married...At last!






Lechon Beauties



Lechon roasting over a pit coal



Face to face with the Lechon--the star of the Philippine Fiesta

A Midnight Walk in Downtown Iloilo 2

For many, a midnight walk into a hitherto strange city can be a desensitizing experience that can be likened to a Russian roulette. Yet, for the nonchalant stranger, an intrepid intrusion into a city's night life is like opening visions to a new and different world.

Throughout history the night often holds terror into the hearts of men--the night's darkness often associated with the mysterious and the unfathomable, the grotesque and the melancholia. Some even associate the night with evil creatures that can cause physical and supernatural harm. Yet there are also those people who finds solace and refuge in the night, and who dread the coming of daytime. They are not ghosts nor vampires--but people who can forget the misery of daytime living by seeking comfort in the enveloping darkness of the midnight.

The only street-sleeper I found in the sidewalks of Iloilo.








Muelle Loney, downtown Iloilo's boulevard by the wharf.

A Midnight Walk in Downtown Iloilo

The late night breeze was cold and balmy which gives the impression that a walk in downtown could be a welcome relaxing experience after the long torturous journey that brought me into this hitherto unknown baudelairian town--a bustling metropolis founded centuries ago.

Like Cubao and Manila*, downtown Iloilo transforms into a neon-lit ghost town at the little wee hours of the midnight. What can be seen around are a motley array of fascinating vignettes that can be witnessed only at this most unholy hour: the lonely darkened alleys and deserted boulevards; some forgotten ghost-like gothic houses from a different era; the few lurking shadows of restless souls whose melancholic nature prevent them from seeking the asylum of sleep; and the nocturnal demimondes who struggle to find work at midnight in order to survive the coming of day--unwittingly defying the intrusion of bourgeois consumerism that abounds during the day, for they rule the night.

These then are the portraits that I have fancied to capture during a melancholic midnight walk in the downtown of Iloilo. Some of the photographs may not catch your interest but they are undeniably the gossamer reflections of what the night life is when most people are in the midst of journey in the grotesque world of slumber.

To be continued

*Please check my post of more than two years ago: A Random Walk in Cubao @ 12 Midnight
and the more recent A Midnight Walk in Downtown Manila

The Diving Boys of Quezon Bridge

I believe I can fly

The old Quezon Bridge (built in the early 1930s) over the Pasig River section in Quiapo, Manila became the diving board for another batch of intrepid youngsters swimming in the polluted Pasig River. The daredevil boys are not contented just swimming and taking a bath in the Pasig. The need to show off for peer admiration and the combined excitement of an adrenaline rush are what makes some of them dive from the 40-foot high bridge--unto the polluted waters below. It makes for a fascinating sight--but yet something that is deeply disturbing.

Some of the boys are aged ten to seventeen and they admit ingesting the dirty waters every time they dive. I found some of them are already coughing blood--which may already be a sign of tuberculosis or even lead poisoning. And again no amount of health warnings can prevent these boys from enjoying the only game they can afford. Each of them take turns diving from the dizzying height amidst their peers' shouting, clapping, laughing, and coughing.

An Olympian somersault dive









A huge splash

The old Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, Manila Philippines

The Children of the Pasig

In the early 1990s, the Pasig River was officially declared as a biologically dead river. It has been considered as one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Household garbage, factory refuse, and toxic wastes of the oil refineries along the river's banks have all contributed to the death of this most important river in the heart of Metro Manila.

According to the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission(PRRC), the Pasig River's waters are now so polluted that no more fishes are able to live in it--save for the janitor fish--which can live in the most polluted waters, and which many fishermen consider as a pest*.

The waters of the Pasig have zero visibility, meaning the river has already attained the toxicity level where you can no longer see anything beneath the surface. Despite the recent regular dredging being done by the PRRC to revive the Pasig, the garbage that had piled up in the river bed has become so thick, it will take decades--even a century--to clean it up.

The PRRC has already banned swimming and public bathing in the Pasig River: human ingestion of the river's water can cause various kinds of diseases like diarrhea, cholera, ear infection, typhoid fever, hepatitis, and even lead poisoning. Or combination of them.

But the homeless children living along the banks of the river found that swimming in the Pasig is a fun way to escape the sweltering heat of the city. And no amount of health hazard warnings can restrain them from having the only fun they can afford. And so everyday--every afternoon--the intrepid boys are having fun and games--diving and swimming in what could possibly be the most polluted and deadliest river in the world.

A human dolphin

*The janitor fish is known to eat fish eggs and fingerlings, thus contributing to the depopulation of fishes in the Pasig. Nonetheless, with or without janitor fish, the Pasig can no longer be able to sustain any kind of marine life due to its toxic waters. The growing number of janitor fish population is already a big problem among the fisher folks in the Laguna de Bay and many river systems in Manila.