T he enterprising Filipino baker who created the now-famous Obama Pan de Sal is out with another invention. This time it's a health drink that combines fresh fruits that abound in the Philippines and juices available in the United States. She calls the new beverage Pacquiao Punch, a silky-smooth drink that at least approximates health authorities' recommendation to eat five servings of fruits a day. It's named after the celebrated Filipino pugilist Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao who goes up the ring again on Saturday in Las Vegas against Ricky Hatton. The Pacquiao Punch is undoubtedly a double-entendre that means both a powerful jab and an energy-providing drink that's non-alcoholic.

* ANOTHER FIRST IN THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY

S AN DIEGO -  The enterprising Filipino baker who re-created the whole concept of pan de sal (Philippine national bread) and named it after US President Obama is doing it again.

This time, Wilma Fernandez Ventura has concocted a fruit beverage she calls Pacquiao Punch to honor Filipino boxing giant Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao.

Ms. Ventura, owner and manager of the popular The Original Richard's Bakery in the City of National City, is packaging the beverage as a health drink.

S he combines fresh Philippine-grown fruits like mango, pineapple, banana, avocado, strawberry, and also peach and other berries sourced in the US, into an energy-boosting juice. To make it a complete booster, she adds yogurt. The whole mixture is then named Pacquiao Punch.

Ms. Ventura is not quite a boxing aficionado though Manny Pacquiao impressed her a lot. She has searched far and wide about him and thought that as much as he is popular and revered in the world of sports, there is nothing like a health drink to celebrate him.

It was then that she hit the idea of creating the Pacquiao Punch and timed its official announcement on the eve of Pacquiao's fight with Ricky Hatton on Saturday, May 2 in Las Vegas.

"We all know that Pacquiao has a very powerful punch. And Filipinos generally love to drink punch though mine (the Pacquiao Punch) is non-alcoholic," she explains.

She also conducted a taste test among customers of her bakery to determine which formulation suits their taste. After countless experimentations and growing expenses, she settled for that brew that's now marketed as Pacquiao Punch.

"I was quite tomboyish," she said. "I love playing sports that tested my physical capabilities and one of them was boxing," she adds.