MANILA, Philippines--The Philippines' boxing king came home Friday bearing four glittering, golden belts signifying the world titles he had won in different divisions, and gifts for typhoon victims.

Hardly had Manny Pacquiao arrived from Los Angeles when he announced that he was donating P3 million of his ring earnings for the relief of victims of Typhoon "Frank." He said he was also organizing a fund-raising concert for them.

Aside from the P3 million donation and the concert, Pacquiao said he also planned to hold a telethon to generate more funds.

"I will also try to make the rounds of the affected provinces, probably Iloilo City, to see what else I can do," he said.

Showing its gratitude for the honor he brought to the country, Malacañang announced that President Macapagal-Arroyo had named him Special Envoy to the 2008 Beijing Olympics--meaning he would carry the Philippine flag at the August Olympiad.

In the afternoon, with no huge crowds lining Metro Manila's streets and no showers of confetti to greet him, unlike his previous triumphal homecomings, Pacquiao breezed through the metropolis in his fastest motorcade yet.

On board an olive-colored jeep festooned with Philippine flags and turned into a float, Pacquiao showed off the four belts representing the championships he had won with his potent fists in four boxing divisions.

Pacquiao returned five days after wresting the World Boxing Council lightweight crown from Mexican-American David Diaz by a knockout in Las Vegas.

Skirting the slums

Fellow boxer Dennis Laurente, who defeated the United States' Steve Quinonez in the Pacquiao-Diaz undercard, rode with him on the float.

But there was none of the boisterous street celebration that marked his previous motorcades through the metropolis' seediest streets and well-paved avenues.

Friday's convoy took a different route, skirting the slums of Tondo and the busy Binondo Chinatown.

"There is nothing to read in it," Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, one of the the boxing superstar's chief supporters told the Inquirer, referring to the low crowd turnout in the streets. "This is a day of joy and glory for Manny."

Atienza said lack of preparation and the unclear route of the motorcade might have been the reason why relatively small crowds--except perhaps in the Sampaloc area--showed up.

Later, Pacquiao merely smiled when asked about the absence of large crowds at his motorcade.

From the Department of Environment and Natural Resources offices in Quezon City, where Pacquiao lunched with Atienza, the motorcade rolled down España and Quezon Avenue and on down Morayta, Nicanor Reyes Street, Recto, Lacson Street and Taft Avenue before through the Makati business district.

The 10-vehicle convoy took just an hour to reach Makati.

From there, Pacquiao got off the float and jumped into his car as the convoy drove on to Pasig.

During the motorcade, Pacquiao cheerfully waved at people, hoisting his championship belts one at a time for them to see.

The biggest crowd, in the hundreds, seemed to have gathered in Sampaloc, where people erupted into cheers.

There, motorists stopped, office workers took breaks from their work, and residents stepped out of their homes to applaud Pacquiao. Men shouted his name while teenage girls shrieked. Others applauded from office windows.

'Uneventful blur'

Two boys emerged from their matchbox houses and chased the motorcade.

The Inquirer spotted a lady dashing out of a parlor for a quick look but the boxing demigod had already passed by.

At Makati, the motorcade passed through Ayala Avenue in an uneventful blur.

There wasn't much cheering, although a smattering of shouts of "Manny!" were heard as Pacquiao waved at dozens of office workers, businessmen and commuters on the sidewalk.

Mass at Quiapo

One of the first things Pacquiao did on his return was to hear Mass with his wife Jinkee at the historic Quiapo Church in Manila, where a throng of supporters welcomed him.

Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, who celebrated the mass, hailed Pacquiao as "a man with a good heart."

"I'm happy because you're [such a] prayerful [man], you continue to sacrifice for your country and you show gratitude to God through the Thanksgiving Masses you offer every time you come home from a fight," Ignacio said. "[We also witnessed how] concerned you were toward your brother (Diaz) when you approached him as he lay on the floor."

The priest was referring to Pacquiao's gesture of trying to lift up Diaz after knocking him out in the 9th round.

"Manny, you're already rich and famous, and you hold a lot of titles. You're considered a national treasure and many people look up and want to be like you. But remember, God doesn't look at all these. What's inside our hearts, not the physical or material things, are the most important," the priest said.

He advised Pacquiao: "Enrich your heart with love and open it especially to the needy. There is a reason why you have been receiving all these [blessings]."

Pickpockets at work

Pickpockets took advantage of the Quiapo mob. At least two television cameramen covering the event later realized that their cell phones were missing.

At the DENR office, Pacquiao was treated like the king that he is.

The employees, who either skipped or delayed lunch, rolled out the red carpet. Throngs greeted him with loud music, cheers and confetti of red, blue and white.

Several employees donned Pacquaio facemasks while others brought with them boxing gloves and old photos taken with the man for his autograph.

"Your prayers are very important to me," Pacquiao told the crowd. "My triumph is your triumph."

In an interview, Pacquiao vowed to be the champion of coral reef rehabilitation. Previously, he had donated P200,000 for the protection of the Philippine eagle and of Bohol's tarsiers.

He had also promised to help fight illegal loggers.

Sharing his blessings

On Friday, he sounded more than eager to share his blessings with the victims of "Frank."

Announcing his plan to donate P3 million to the victims, he said: "I have talked it over with my wife, and we decided to give P3 million as our way of helping them."

Sporting a striped white and blue shirt and jeans, Pacquiao was met at the airport by his three children--Michael, Jimuel and Princess--and by officials and airport employees.

He was accompanied by an entourage of supporters, including Atienza and ex-Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson.

"I thank all Filipinos who supported me and prayed for this victory. Don't worry, my hand is okay now," Pacquiao said in Filipino, chuckling, referring to his hand that swelled after he had pounded Diaz with it.

Fund raising for victims

Would he allow his sons to follow in his footsteps?

"I don't want them to go into boxing ... they'll just get hurt," he said.