Like father, like son. It’s a great source of pride for a father to pass on a legacy to his child, and eventually have that legacy influence his child's future. In Jimuel Pacquiao’s case, he’s a proud son to professional boxer, "People's Champ," and Senator Manny Pacquiao, and is even prouder to share the same passion as that of the man he considers his first-ever role model. 

Manny is iconic in the field of boxing. With many victories under his belt, he’s definitely one of the most admired personalities not just in the Philippines but in different parts of the world as well. But for his family, especially for eldest child Jimuel, he’s the best father one could ever ask for, someone who not only provides for them but really guides and inspires his children to chase after their dreams and strive for success.

Growing up with a professional boxer for a dad, it was almost natural for Jimuel to also develop that love for the sport, taking cues from his dad and learning from him as much as possible.

With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, the father-and-son tandem makes the most of their precious time at home under quarantine to bond over boxing.

“I haven’t had the chance to really train with him before the pandemic because of his busy schedule,” Jimuel tells Metro.Style. “That’s why I consider the time I have with him as a blessing since I get to spend way more time with him now.”

“He said, since I really like boxing, he teaches me since he really cares, and he doesn’t want me to fight if I’m not ready,” he adds.

So these past few months, a typical routine for Manny and Jimuel looks like this: they warm up and hit the mitts with Manny holding the pads for his son while teaching him some boxing techniques in between, then Jimuel hits the heavy bag, and finishes up with some shadow boxing and jump rope. “It’s a lot of fun learning from the best,” he shares.

Before the health crisis hit the Philippines, Jimuel admits his father's packed schedule didn't quite give them a lot of time to be together at home. Their idea of bonding before was going out for dinner, where they catch up on each other. But now that it's going to take awhile before they can do that again due to the quarantine, Jimuel appreciates how they get to have longer and more meaningful conversations with their father at home these days. 

When asked which among his dad’s most prized possessions he would like to acquire, the rising celebrity ditches material things and instead wishes he’d get Manny’s skills in boxing, too. “I won’t really ask for any material thing, because I want to be able to work hard for what I want. But him training me would be the best,” Jimuel says.

“If I have the money, I would give everything to my dad. Kasi he gave everything for us and I love him so much,” he ends.

Check out the video below to see how they train for boxing at home while under quarantine:

Lead photos from @mannypacquiao