The Dream Match between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar Dela Hoya takes place on December 6 (December 7 in the Philippines) in Las Vegas, Nevada. While analysts in the boxing world pay attention to the differing strengths of each fighter, its highly possible that Manny Pacquiao's greatest strength may come from a place deeper than that where he draws his powerful right hook.

In between his morning workouts this past week, Manny has engaged us in several intellectual discussions about the importance of faith in God and how a relationship with Him can be a source of great power for any fighter. Last Monday he told us that alongside his physical and mental preparation for this big fight, he is also preparing himself spiritually.

This morning, he stopped midway through his abs circuit to share a parable from one of his Bible readings and then asked his "boys" to dissect it. He then went on to explain the importance of going deeper into scripture and how knowing Christ is the reason we are in this world in the first place. He paused and smiled after his short talk was over, realizing that he was sounding like a preacher. But it was a smile of satisfaction.

I've known Manny long enough to know that he is no way close to being a saint, but it is this new side of him that has really won my admiration. His testimonies were coupled with a firm belief in his faith and a sincere desire to pass along this knowledge to others.

Manny has become such a big star not only locally but also in the international scene, so much so that quite frequently, Hollywood celebrities come as fans, mingled with the rest of us at the local gym. Despite this, Manny remains very genuinely the same person, very nice and down to earth. Perhaps its his faith that has kept him grounded.

This week as we chronicle the journey of Manny Pacquiao towards what could possibly be the most memorable match of his career, we will not fail to discuss the intricacies of his training regimen, as well as the novel details that only a first-hand behind-the-scenes point of view can bring...but before we begin, its nice to know what's powering that core that our beloved fighter is built on.

With its launch coming up in two days, here's a geeky look into the pros and cons of owning & using an iPhone 3G in the Philippines.

WHY NOT TO GET THE IPHONE 3G:

1. JUST FASTER: If you are like me and have somehow procured the original iPhone the only thing you'll be getting with the upgrade is 3G support, which means faster data connections for Internet-based apps. There's supposed to be GPS but it isn't true-blue GPS. The rest of the added features you can get via an upgrade to the iPhone 2.0 software (just make sure you know what you are doing if you know what I mean).

2. NO VISUAL VOICEMAIL: Visual voicemail is a neat feature that came with the original iPhone (but it requires telco support to work) that allows users to see a list of voice messages arranged by name and listen to them in any order (where voice mail is concerned you waste a lot of time having your messages read out to you in the order they were received). Globe apparently won't be offering the visual voicemail service when it launches on Friday. There's no word yet if it intends to offer this in the future but I intend to find out during the launch party on Thursday night.

3. USELESS DEFAULT APPS: Some applications are practically useless for Pinoy users:

Maps: Maps application works and loads a bit faster when on 3G but the available maps for the Philippines aren't good enough for it to be at all useful.

Stocks: Stocks applications works if you intend to check stocks on the NYSE, NASDAQ, and the Nikkei Index (among others). But if you intend to use it to monitor your stocks on the PSE you're out of luck.

iTunes: There's a app called iTunes (the purple icon) which is used to purchase music off the iTunes Music Store. But because deals with recording companies haven't been worked out yet, you won't be able to use this application at all. You can try but you'll get an error message that says your country isn't supported. Unless you know a workaround.

4. EXPENSIVE DATA PLANS: Globe's Internet usage plans are still too expensive. Forget the price of the phone (which is expensive too), the killer factor here is Internet usage. The iPhone is a device that relies heavily on the Internet. Not counting the third party applications you can buy, about 8 default applications require the Internet (Music Store, App Store, Maps, You Tube, Safari, Mail, Weather and Stocks) so if you intend to use them while on Globe's 3G connection, prepare for some expensive data costs.

Apple is also offering a push-like feature for email which works in tandem with their $99/year Mobile Me service. Theoretically this service will require a constant Internet connection to ensure that email is delivered instantaneously. To quote a tech friend, "if you have PUSH enabled and your mailbox is active, you are doomed!" Of course the only way to confirm is to sign up for a phone/plan, use the service and wait for the bill to arrive.

Globe currently doesn't offer a plan with Unlimited Mobile Internet hours so for now you're stuck with a 40-100 hours/month plan or carefully watch your Internet consumption. You can also opt to go online only when a WiFi connection is available. Globe also offers free hours at Globe Wiz hotspots (with certain plans).

5. NOT FOR SMS: The iPhone is not built for texting. Last time I checked, I send an average of 1600/SMS a month and I did a lot of it on my iPhone. But the phone is heavily flawed when it comes to handling SMS. First of all nothing beats the tactile feel of a real keyboard. No matter how good you get (give yourself a week to get the hang of it) typing on glass can/will never be the same – unless they can create glass the provides tactile response. You can't forward messages, cannot send texts to groups (although you can send to multiple recipients but you have to select contacts individually) and there's no copy/paste if you want to forward snippets from a text file or another text message. Apple has failed to address these issues in the second iteration of the iPhone - apparently because it remains to be seen as a priority. This is not good for a text-heavy country like ours.


WHY TO GET THE IPHONE 3G:

1. BEST IPOD TO DATE: The iPhone is indeed the best iPod ever, and arguably the best multimedia phone as well. You're really getting a fully functional iPod and a phone - so for the first time ever you can survive with just one device and not find yourself craving for more. Movies are just awesome on its 3.5-inch screen and if you have the right converters at home you can encode home movies and what not for hours of pure viewing pleasure. Although most phones in the market today support some kind of music format what makes the iPod great is its simple to use interface. The iPhone is consistent in this regard and listening to music on it is a breeze. If you have lots of songs and movies don't even think about NOT getting the 16GB model, you'll regret not doing so once your device starts to fill up.

2. EMAIL WORKS: I've had tons of phones in the past but no other phone can handle e-mail as good as the iPhone. I can send/receieve e-mail at the click of a button (even on GPRS) and even while on roaming (tried it in the US earlier this year). Attachments are also not a problem as most files can be viewed on the fly without requiring an external program. The built-in e-mail client supports Microsoft Exchange, POP3 and IMAP accounts and theoretically PUSH Email via Apple's optional service MobileMe. And if you have a Yahoo or Gmail account, that's easy to setup as well.

3. INTERNET SURFING LIKE IT SHOULD BE: No other phone can also handle mobile Internet surfing as great as the iPhone. Pages load just like they would on a regular computer browser (no compromises except for flash video) and because of the iPhone's multi-touch functionality its easy to navigate within pages. After having tried the iPhone I have had no patience to browse the net on any other phone. Oh and if you have WiFi at home, the iPhone is also great for some last minute surfing while in bed.

4. ACCELEROMETER & MULTI TOUCH: Admittedly the iPhone's built in accelerometer (tilt sensor) and multi touch technology are more of show-off features than anything else, BUT they really do add to the user experience, which is most important after all. Plenty of 3rd party games rely on the accelerometer for some wii-esque action. Multi-touch allows you too flip through photos, zoom in with pinch-actions, scroll through your home window to access applications, and navigate around web pages with ease.

5. AMAZING APP STORE: Apple's decision to open up the iPhone to 3rd party developers is one of the best moves its done so far. The App Store is filled with a variety of applications that extend the capability of the iPhone and seal the deal as one of the best phone's ever. There are currently hundreds of applications currently available on the app store ranging from games to productivity apps to scientific apps. My favorites are WordPress (update your WordPress blog), OmniFocus (Get Things Done), Facebook (Facebook!!!) Twitterific (Twitter) and NetNewsWire (RSS reader). I haven't even begun to explore the wealth of games that's available for purchase.

Where pricing is concerned you'd be pleased to know that some iPhone apps are FREE while paid apps are priced at an average of 4-6 US dollars each.

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I must admit that I have a White 16GB iPhone 3G reserved for me but I haven't gotten around to submitting the paper work they sent me. Am holding off because the way Globe is offering the phone is ideal for new subscribers but not for loyal old timers like me. I have already 2 Globe lines and am not ready to get one more just for the iPhone. If I did it wouldn't even be FREE.

I hope you found this guide helpful, although based on experience, if you've already set your mind on something, nothing anyone can tell you can convince you otherwise. The iPhone after all is one of the most hyped devices in history (deservingly so) and with a wait (and anticipation) that has spanned almost two years, I wouldn't be surprised if Filipino fans, take the bait without batting an eyelash.

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Disclaimer: The author prefers Macs over Windows and admits to be a BIG apple fanatic. His experience with the iPhone dates back to August 2007.

I don't know how he does it, he just does.

I'm beginning to think that Manny Pacquiao is an alien, a mutant of some kind. He doesn't seem to tire and his body performs well beyond what we consider normal.


Today, it was the intense heat that was getting to us. Even early in the morning the sun's rays were as harsh as could be. Later in the afternoon, during Manny's workout at the exclusive IBA Gym, the heat was so intense that it felt like we were stuck in an oven. But Manny kept on going. Unfazed by the HOT Las vegas weather. He told us that he had prepared in advance and had "acclimatized to the temperature".


Manny and his rival David Diaz were both given the ceremonial welcome ceremonies at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Both boxers drove up in a stretched limo - arriving about an hour apart, before being whisked away to the Mandalay Events Center (where the fight takes place this week) for an informal chat with members of the press.


A couple of days ago Manny noted that David was unlike other Mexican boxers he had been pitted against who would make sensational, sometimes unforgiving statements, even before the fight.

David said something to the same effect, saying that both of them are humble and not the type to talk trash. Instead he told the press to expect both of them to get down to business once they get into the ring.

We had a little one-on-one with David during the media presentation. Diaz told us he has friends who are Filipinos and are fans of Pacquiao. "Hopefully they will cheer for me," he said.

Both Manny and David seem to be in good spirits. They are both nice people that I wouldn't wish a knockout on any one of them. But I kind of get the feeling that Manny needs to win convincingly this time around. I think it is what Pinoy fans are looking forward to.

There's no telling how the fight will end, but odds are in favor of Manny.

Had a very long day today. Its 12:30 a.m. here in Las Vegas and we just finished sending our stories and materials to Manila.

We were up bright and early this morning. Despite all the activities scheduled to take place, Manny made sure to make time for his workout and sparring sessions, which he finished before lunch.

The four-round sparring session will be Manny's last prior to his bout against David Diaz this coming Saturday (Sunday in the Philippines).

Manny sported a new haircut, which made him look years younger. I'm posting a photo of both of us here for those who left messages on the comments section saying we look alike.

Speaking of Diaz, we got to meet up with David (he told us his family calls him "David" pronounced the Spanish way) at the Santa Monica Pier where his press conference was held.

David was there early, so we got the chance to sit down and chat with him. He was very personable, and much easier to approach than some of Manny's recent rivals.

After the press conference, Manny and a convoy of 12 vehicles (yes that
many) containing Team Pacquiao members, friends, family, media and other guests set off for Las Vegas.

The trip took a total of five hours, including a one-hour pit stop at Barstow where Manny patiently posed for photos with his fans.

During this one-week period that we've been with him I've come to realize that Manny has plenty of Mexican supporters despite him being branded the "Mexican Killer".

We arrived in Las Vegas about 8:30 in the evening. One would think
the temperature would have gone down by now, but it was scorching hot when we arrived at our hotel.

Manny intends to get up extra early tomorrow to avoid the heat during his morning jog. We will be there too, so I must get some shuteye.

A heat wave hit California over the weekend, with temperatures breaking decades old records. I'm pretty sure the same can be said about temperatures inside the Wild Card Gym, where "pambansang kamao" Manny Pacquiao is training for his upcoming bout with David Diaz.


As expected, fans piled into the gym to catch one last glimpse of Manny before he leaves for Las Vegas this Monday (Tuesday in Manila). The heat, crowd, and low ceilings were the perfect formula for an oven-like experience Saturday afternoon.

Despite this, coach Freddie Roach let everyone in to watch Manny's 6-round sparring session. Manny seemed to be starving for more power, shouting "come on, come on" several times, nudging on his spar mates to attack him with all they have.


After sparring, Freddie Roach got into the ring with Manny. Manny's powerful punches knocked off Freddie's mits a couple of times to the delight of the audience.


Manny didn't take Sunday off either, opting for a light jog around Pan Pacific Park and the usual ab workout. On Monday (Tuesday in Manila), he will be traveling by land to Las Vegas but not before a jog and a four-round sparring session. He's also scheduled to meet David Diaz at a press conference in Santa Monica Beach.

We'll be joining Manny's convoy all the way to Las Vegas and will be the first to give you the scoop. So keep this blog bookmarked.

After a two-day hiatus coach Freddie Roach is back at the Wild Card Gym to look after his star student, Manny Pacquiao.

Roach was in exile, kicking himself out of the gym, until he recovered from colds.

Manny often tells me: "Bawal magkasakit."

Roach told us it was either him or Manny, and since Manny needed to train, Roach stepped back to ensure that Manny will not get sick before the big fight.

We saw Manny spar eight rounds on Thursday.

Boxing analyst Hermie Rivera said Manny connected with hard hitting punches, hesitating only to spare his sparring mates from getting mauled.

There have been talks that there is a trade-off between weight and speed, and that Manny's weight increase would mean him slowing down.

But there was no signs of Manny's slowing. In fact one of his spar mates said Manny's punches came very fast and accurate, so much so that, "sometimes you see black before seeing a punch coming".

If there was any slowing down, it's the gradual decrease in the intensity of his training.

Earlier Thursday morning, Manny opted out of shadow boxing. He just completed a few sprints and his ab circuit, even taking time to chat with his trainers.

Meanwhile, Freddie wasn't the only familiar face that made an appearance at the gym. Manny's wife, Jinky, already arrived from the Philippines.

This week Manny Pacquiao is supposed to taper down his training, but our man continues to train with intensity, and there seems to be no stopping him.



His coaches told us they will keep a close eye on the Champ because Manny has the tendency to be overzealous and end up overworking himself.

Early Wednesday morning, he ran up the usual trail up to Griffith Park. In the afternoon, he went over new move sets (different combinations of jabs and hooks).

Many of us took the latter for granted, but I realized how detailed Manny's planning of his moves and how important it is.

Manny and his coach not only went over new combinations, they also prepared counter/avoid attacks.



The session was not as flashy as the sparring sessions. Still it was a pleasure to watch. Everyone could feel the power in every blow the Champ delivers.

At one point coach Buboy Fernandez even fell backward while on the receiving end of Manny's punches.

Manny is not wasting any time. He'd skip time-outs and choose to keep going. What a fighter!

Scientific approach

Today on "24 Oras," Lei Alviz's report focused on Manny's new conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, and how Freddie Roach decided to bring Manny's preparation to a new level by hiring someone with a degree in sports/fitness medicine.

The goal is to find out what qualities Freddie wants Manny to develop, and Alex gets it done.

Ariza said Manny has practically trained himself and is already at an "elite level." How much more if his raw talent can be tapped further.

A jog around the Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles was not in Manny's itinerary this morning.

Nope, Manny's conditioning coach Alejandro Ariza had something else in mind - sprints. Those who joined the exercise were required to sprint about 100 meters one way, recover for a couple of seconds, and then sprint back. This was done several times over.

Good thing Lei Alviz and I were up early enough to warm up.

So how did I do? Well I'll let this photo speak for itself (I'm in black short-sleeved shirt near the orange cone). Team Pacquiao was impressed.

Manny, on the other hand, was recovering from a cold. He told us he should be a hundred percent good to go in about a day or two. At the gym later, there was no sign of Manny or the team slowing down. They were all in good spirit, cracking jokes, making funny faces, and smiling a lot.

But when Manny needs to get down to business he gets down to business.

During his ten-round sparring session, Manny displayed awesome strength and speed. He appeared ready, throwing some heavy punches at his Mexican, Nicaraguan, and Filipino-Hawaiian sparring mates.

It was also a reverent Manny who asked for a moment of silence before ending his workout with a prayer.

Day 2 of our Pacquiao coverage here in the US was off to a slow start.

Hampered by a slight cold, Manny and company arrived later than usual for his morning jog up Griffith Park.

Manny was accompanied by up-and-coming Pinoy boxers Aaron Melgarejo, Bernabe Concepcion, and Bernie Torres, and his newest training partner
- a Jack Russell Terrier named Pacman.

The jog up Griffith Park was no laughing matter. By the time you reach the top (elevation approx 1,600 ft), the city fades away into the distance, and you are much closer to the famed Hollywood sign.

The entire run lasted about an hour, Pacman the dog completed the entire course and looked like he had much more energy to spare.

I on the other hand joined Abe on the last leg. Although I was able to keep up, I could feel how tired and out of shape I have become. Tomorrow when Manny runs the flats down at the Pan Pacific Park, Lei and I have been invited to run alongside him.

Will let you know how that goes tomorrow.

After shadow boxing and his intensive abs circuit we got the chance to speak to Manny. He spoke candidly about the loss of friend Rudy Fernandez who he actually spoke to on the phone a few days before his death.

Rudy was an avid fan, who hardly missed one of Manny's matches. Manny expressed his grief over the loss.

Later in the afternoon Manny hit the gym for a regular workout. Manny showed good form, he appeared prepared for the fight next week.

Tomorrow, he told us, he will engage in a 10-round sparring session.

The 12-rounds he did last Saturday was the most intense of this camp. He will be tapering down in the next few days leading up to a 4-round spar next Monday.

After an intense 12-round sparring session the day before, Manny Pacquiao took the day off Sunday canceling an intended early morning run and opting to catch some extra snooze time.

Our team met up with Manny at the Christ the King Catholic Church where he regularly attends mass while in Los Angeles. Manny was his usual self, a bit reserved but still playful, managing to sneak in a few jokes on the way in.

Like clockwork each Sunday, a crowd of fans comes to this church in hopes of an up close and personal encounter with their favorite boxer.

Most come prepared with cameras, large-sized photographs for signing and autograph books.

And Manny did not disappoint, posing for each photo and signing each slip of paper or memorabilia thrown at him.

Later on in an interview with our reporter, Lei Alviz, Manny talked about spending Father's Day away from his kids, explaining the difficulties of being away but also saying his children are who he is fighting for.

Manny spent the rest of the day with friends, shopping for shoes and catching Game 5 of the NBA finals from the comfort of his Hollywood home (he's rooting for the Celtics).

I've been up to a lot lately, but two things in particular excite me profoundly; this blog, and the new tech segment I'm doing for News on Q on QTV Channel 11.

As a long-time producer of independent content for the Internet (blog/podcasts) it is a dream come true to have mainstream media as a platform. I get to do the same things but have a much wider reach.

Having said that, I look forward to years of creative tech writing on this blog.

But before I dive in, I thought a little introduction would be appropriate. So allow me to crank back my history button all the way back to my first baby steps online.

Humble Beginnings

I launched my first website all the way back in July of 1998. Hosted on the Geocities' Cyber Park, it was like any other "home page" of the day with some writing, photos, a calendar, and other personals. The site moved around a bit in the years that followed until I settled into my own domain in 2001.

I started off as a web designer. Learning HTML and CSS on my own from books, dissecting other people's source code, online forums, and through hours and hours of practice. Was into graphic design too. Jakob Nielsen got me into web usability, and I gravitated towards designs that were clean, crisp, uncluttered, and user-friendly.

Blogging/Web Writing

In 2001, I read the book, Taking Your Talent to the Web and was inspired to do just that. MichaelJosh.com became a repository of my ideas, poetry, and articles. I also began journaling. At that time the blog concept was relatively new.

I didn't know it then, but according to this listing I was one of the first few documented bloggers in the country. There were very few local online communities back then, and the net circles that I maintained were all foreign.

Podcasting/Videocasting

In late 2004, shortly after switching over to a Mac (thanks to the Halo Effect) I began to fill my iPod with this new thing called podcasts - audio programs distributed via RSS feeds. I especially loved Sound Seeing Tours done by Pod Father Adam Curry and wanted to do some of my own.

With my background in broadcast, I decided to follow suit coming up with the Michael Josh Show on March 21, 2005, which along with my sister and a friend was recorded around my PowerBook using the laptop's internal microphone. It was the second home grown podcast coming out of the Philippines during that time, according to the History of Pinoy Podcasts. I was so crazy about this new trend and saw a lot of potential in it that I soon began giving a few lectures here and there to try to promote podcasting locally – but I felt it was not yet time. Our audience was basically composed of Pinoys living abroad and I was astounded by how many were interested in tuning into a couple of guys talking about random things. And yes I did get to do a couple of sound seeing tours, my favorite is a 30-minute walkthrough of the Muse de Louvre during a trip to Paris.

The next logical step for me was to do a video podcast. This however was unchartered territory and very few had gone before, but we bit the bullet. What started off as a joke inside the car grew into a great concept. Two of my siblings and I produced the first video podcast in Asia - "HIT Weekly" which stands for Hot Interesting Topics. Because there were only 15 of us in the whole world at that time it was easy to promote the show and get the numbers we desired. During our first month we had about a thousand people subscribe to our feed and were struggling to keep up with the bandwidth requirements. Not long after this we were featured on CommandN - a video podcast out of Canada. The mention pushed us over our bandwidth allotment and pulled our site down for almost a week. Many people wanted to help pay for costs but there were no facilities to accept cash donations at that time. PayPal Philippines was a non-entity back then. When we got back online, we had been selected as a featured video podcast on the iTunes Music Store. Local press started noticing too a couple of magazine mentions followed. But alas it wasn't easy to produce a show with limited time on a limited budget especially if you also had to write, shoot, host, and edit all at the same time. Because of this we decided to put the show on an indefinite hiatus until further notice.

Slowing Down

I don't know about you but I often find that there's too much going on in the world around me and not being able to catch up frustrates me immensely. Admittedly, I’ve slowed down a bit, I've got a full time job and a ministry to think off first, but I still remain a true blue techie. I still spend most of my time online, blow away most of my money on gadgets, and have integrated technology even into seemingly "non-tech" activities like reading and running.

The other week I sat in at the local iBlog Summit and was thrilled to see how the local community has flourished. You can no longer count Filipino bloggers and podcasters. They are just too many (in a good way). Everyone also seems to be on Twitter these days too (which is way cool). Funny how I blazed the trail of a few paths but was never around when the highways were in place. I regret never getting around to cultivate any relationships locally, except for my connections with the Philippine Macintosh User Group. Recently my friend Ederic Eder has been my guide to the local tech scene introducing me to key players - and setting me up as the tech guy of News On Q.

New Beginnings

But it's never too late to start. Which is in a way why I'm glad to be doing this blog. I can't wait to make new acquaintances from among all of you as well as to get to know the sights and sounds of this thriving tech community.

There are several reasons why I want these two projects to do well. First is because I live and breathe tech so much so that I want to be able to plant the seeds of interest in as much of you as possible.

Secondly, I want to be able to bridge the divide between techies and technophobes with posts that are both informative and easy to to understand. Without alienating the guys who know pretty much "everything" already.

And finally I want to interact with you, I want to create discussions on issues and talk about the latest trends. I want to learn from you knowing that you have a lot to bring to the table, so much more than we probably give ourselves credit for.

So dive in with me. Together let's take the plunge.