Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has joined Philippines President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cabinet, taking charge of the government’s anti-poverty agency and pledging to use his personal experience of hardship to help vulnerable Filipinos.
Pacquiao, 47, was appointed lead convener of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) on Tuesday, marking his first cabinet position after a lengthy political career that included terms in Congress and the Senate.
His political career has also included an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2022 and a failed attempt to return to the Senate in 2025 on a ticket backed by the Marcos administration.
As head of the NAPC, Pacquiao will coordinate government programmes to reduce poverty. He said his own childhood experiences would shape his approach to the role.
“I came from poverty. I experienced sleeping on cardboard on the streets, drinking only water, having nothing to eat, and saving loose coins just to help my family,” Pacquiao said in a statement.
Pacquiao grew up in difficult circumstances, working as a ship stowaway and taking part in street fights as a boy for as little as $2 per bout. His rise to global boxing stardom later made him one of the Philippines’ most prominent athletes.
The Marcos administration has set a target of reducing the country’s poverty rate to between 8% and 9% by 2028. Government data showed the rate fell to 9.7% in 2025, representing about 11.08 million people living below the poverty line.
Pacquiao’s appointment comes as the government faces the challenge of sustaining that decline while addressing persistent economic pressures affecting low-income households.
Beyond politics, Pacquiao remains one of the Philippines’ most recognisable public figures. The only boxer to win world titles in eight weight divisions, he became a national sporting icon whose major fights routinely attracted widespread attention across the country.
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Pacquiao retired from boxing in 2021 but returned to the ring in July 2025, challenging Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship in Las Vegas. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2025.
His new government role represents a shift from the boxing ring to public policy, with Pacquiao now tasked with helping coordinate efforts to tackle one of the Philippines’ longstanding social and economic challenges.
Reuters
