FIVE Filipino fighters who won nine of 13 title bouts in 2011 will be honored as most outstanding boxers of the year in the 12th Gabriel “Flash” Elorde boxing awards/banquet of champions on March 25 at the grand ballroom of the Dusit Thani Hotel.

The boxers are WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, WBC/WBO bantamweight ruler Nonito Donaire, WBO flyweight king Brian Viloria and WBO female superbantamweight queen Ana Julaton, who accounted for two title wins each, and WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes who had one win.

Pacquiao, Donaire, Viloria, Nietes and Julaton are the country’s reigning world titlists.

Pacquiao, 33, twice successfully defended the WBO 147-lb title against Sugar Shane Mosley in May and against Juan Manuel Marquez in November. 

The event, which is also being presented by COBRA Energy Drink, will also honor Pacquiao with a special citation which the Elorde family will announce during the awards night held in memory of the boxing legend and International Hall of Famer, Flash Elorde, who held the world junior lightweight crown for seven consecutive years from 1960.

Previous honors already conferred by the Elorde Boxing Awards on Pacquiao are Pound-for-Pound King, Boxer of the Year, induction into the Elorde Hall of Fame, Boxer of the Decade and Quintessential Athlete awards.