Congressman Manny Pacquiao and US Senator Harry Reid Talks about the Revival of Filipino Garment Industry

February 18, 2011 · Posted in Philippine News

During the four cities promotional tour on May 7 mega fight prior to Manny Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title defense against three-division, five-time titlist Sugar Shane Mosley ended a day began with Pacquiao’s welcomed by Reid onto the floor of the United States Senate.

Aside from Manny’s meeting with the US president Barack Obama, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum confirmed that Pacquiao also held a private conversation with senator Harry Reid in the latter’s office, during which he opted to pass a law in the Philippines seeking aid for that nation’s garment industry.

“Manny raised the talk about a bill that was very important to the Philippines. It’s a bill where, if Filipino apparel makers used American textiles, they could export goods to the United States without tariff,” said Arum.

“And it is estimated that if the United States Senate passes that bill, it will create as many as 200,000 jobs in the Philippines. So it’s a very, very crucial piece of legislation,” Arum added.
“Senator Reid committed to Manny that he would personally shepherd that bill and do what he could to see that it was passed.”
Bob Arum proudly pleased by Pacquiao’s effort to help his countrymen and was impressed to his prize fighter’s ability in gaining the support of the senate majority leader.

“For Manny to get that support for a substantive bill like that, which, by the way, has bi-partisan support, and to get the support of the majority leader of the senate, who shepherds the bills through, is really a feather in his cap,” Arum told senior correspondent and news anchor Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation during an interview in his Top Rank offices in Las Vegas.

“If this legislation passes, and I’m very optimistic that it will, it will enable the Philippine apparel makers to compete,” said Arum. “And because the goods would come in duty-free to the United States. This would be the first, really big thing that Manny has accomplished for the Philippines.”