Angeles Jimenez: Bukidnon’s Boxing Patriarch

The father, the son, and boxing

Angeles Jimenez, 86, and father of renowned boxing coach Joven Jimenez was hooked on boxing when he was still into teaching many years ago. He even went to far-flung barrios and walked for kilometers just to watch local boxing matches in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

When asked how he would describe Joven, the boxing coach, he said, “He’s okay. I love him. A loving child but a bit hard-headed.” He said that he never doubted his son that he would be a coach for the great world champion in Jerwin Ancajas. Before Joven became a coach, he was an amateur boxer during his elementary years.

Habituated totally to the sport, Tatay Angeles, now a widower, was into boxing promotion and spearheaded boxing events way back then. He told his grandson Niño Jimenez during their recent little chit-chat that it was not hard to promote boxing events then, amateur or professional. The promoters are the ones who decide how many rounds a professional bout will take.

It runs in the blood

Tatay Angeles, a devout Catholic, recalled that even when Joven was studying in Cagayan de Oro, the latter fought in the amateur rank and was scouted in many competitions. Seeing his potentials, he was later invited to go to Manila to grind his axe, so to speak. From his memory he said, “Wa gyud nagsaba nga niadto siya’g Manila.” (There was no noise that he went to Manila.) He didn’t bother to bid goodbye to any of his family members.

Wanting his “prodigal” son to finish his studies, he went to the Philippine Sports Commission in the nation’s capital to fetch Joven back to CDO and continue his college. But Joven’s love for boxing prevailed as he dropped out of school and continued to chase his dream honed it in the gym and manifested in the actual arena. To cut the long story short, the former stubborn son is now a world-acclaimed boxing persona.

Aside from Joven, his other sons are also into the sport. Jonnel was a referee for professional matches and Vergil was an erstwhile boxing promoter.

The retired educator turned boxing promoter has six children, three sons, and three daughters namely, Annibeth (Libante), a teacher; Virgil, a retired lawman; Jonnel, a civil engineer; Evelyn (Pagaran) who works at DepEd; and Joven, of course. Their late uncle Cesar was a professionally licensed referee.

Boxing and Martial Law

In the late '60s and early '70s, boxing is already the life of the villages of Bukidnon. There is boxing during fiestas and all the local celebrations. It was considered the lifeline of the barrios and the pueblos. Boxing was not only a fad but a social anesthesia. Then, Martial Law spoils it all.

His old man told Niño that after former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. signed Proclamation No. 1081 placing the Philippines under Martial Law, boxing in Bukidnon was greatly affected under the military rule because there was a curfew prohibiting the citizens from going out of their residences at night until the wee hours of the morning. Offenders were detained and punished with civic actions or community service ordered by either the police or the military officers.

Boxing promotion in Bukidnon hangs still like an abandoned punching bag. It was greatly hurt during those dark days in history. But like a phoenix, boxing in their place came back alive after that.

Papa Lolo

Niño Jimenez’s Papa Lolo exchanged marriage vows with the late Virgincita Hallasgo, also a teacher. He was an educator who took up an Agricultural Education degree at Central Mindanao University and his Elementary Education degree and Master of Art in Teaching at the Bukidnon State College, now Bukidnon State University.

“He is very smart, loving, and a heck of a human being,” says Tatay Angeles’s grandson telling this scribe that today’s birthday celebrator is deeply loved not only by his 6 children but 19 grandchildren. “He is very close to me. We talked a lot about boxing, among other things,” Niño said in conclusion. As their pater familias, Tatay Angeles is a multi-division undisputed champion, figuratively. 

Niño and I are telling The Man’s story to the world to give him a rightful tribute as a little-known promoter but an ardent believer of the sport.

This is because of our common love for boxing that bonds us all.

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(Photo: Niño Jimenez)