After his Victory Motorcade, Pacquiao went to the Malacanang Palace for a Courtesy Call, where President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, her Cabinet and members of Congress showered Manny Pacquiao with confetti, praises, a cake emblazoned with the Philippine flag and a sumptuous Filipino lunch in a chandelier-lit banquet hall.

Three tenors serenaded him with a rendition of his songs — one of his many side interests that includes acting.

Pacquiao presented his IBO light welterweight champion belt to Arroyo then gave her and her husband his team's sports jackets. Arroyo wore it over her elegant fuchsia dress, grabbed a microphone and threw questions at him like a fan.

"Did Hatton hurt you?" Arroyo asked.

"Not so much," Pacquiao replied. "On top of the ring, I thought he was bigger and stronger. But no, he could not take the punch of the Filipino nation."

Arroyo presented him with an encased copy of a presidential proclamation, which called for a national celebration Monday for Pacquiao, who was described as a "boxing legend" whose "life and victories inspire the Filipinos to have resiliency and dedication to triumph against all odds."