THERE were a lot of empty seats but it didn't matter for the few who were present.
Only two theaters at the SM North Edsa were allocated for the special screening of the 'Resurgence Manny Pacquiao versus Jessie Vargas' fight at Thomas and Mack Center at Las Vegas.
Cinema 5, which has free seating, was less than half full at the time of the Nonito Donaire vs Magdaleno bout while the nearby Cinema 7 with reserve seating fared slightly better.
"Mas mahina ngayon sir compared sa dating laban," shared an SM Cinema staffer who declined to disclose the number of seats that were sold for the welterweight match.
[See Magdaleno dethrones Donaire via unanimous decision]
The lack of interest in the fight did not deter the few hundred people who lined up as early as an hour before the 9 a.m. screening.
A few hundred were present at the time of the national anthem, with the Pinoys standing and applauding for the Lupang Hinirang before sitting down for the Mexican and US hymns.
"I'm still curious if Manny still has it.) Filipino Pride and all. I don't know anything about Vargas and I think it's kinda cheap (that he's Pacquiao's opponent)," said Sean Garibay, a Filipino-Canadian on vacation who is watching his first PPV fight on the big screen.
As Pacquiao entered the ring to the sound of applause, he still matters to a devout group of his countrymen.
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