Pacquiao to lead Philippines’ fight against poverty

Manny Pacquiao, the legendary Filipino boxer who won a dozen world titles across eight weight divisions, is taking charge of the country’s fight against poverty. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed him on Tuesday to lead the National Anti-Poverty Commission, giving him his first Cabinet post after a long political career.

Known affectionately across the Philippines as Pac-Man, Pacquiao will serve as the commission’s lead coordinator, a position comparable to a minister. He will act as a direct link between Marcos and representatives of 14 groups classified as vulnerable, including farmers, fishermen, Indigenous people and informal workers.

His responsibilities will include designing and planning national campaigns with government departments such as the health and social development ministries. The programs will focus on reducing poverty and responding to the demands of the country’s poorest communities.

“A champion of the Filipino people. Together we will bring government programs closer to our communities and give more Filipinos a fair opportunity for a better life,” Marcos said on Facebook after bringing Pacquiao into his administration.

Statistics department data published in August put poverty at a historic low, affecting about 9.7% of the population, or roughly 11 million of the Philippines’ 118 million people. Manila says about 6.5 million Filipinos moved out of poverty between 2023 and 2025 and aims to lower the rate to between 8% and 9% by 2028, the final year of Marcos’ single six-year term.

Pacquiao entered politics after retiring from professional boxing. He served in Congress from 2010 to 2016, held a Senate seat from 2016 to 2022 and ran for president in 2022, when Marcos won. He is also training for a possible return to the ring before the end of the year.

Pacquiao has spoken about his humble origins, saying he left school at age 10 to sell bread and help his family. During his presidential campaign, he said his family often had only water to consume because they had no food.

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A champion of the Filipino people. Together we will bring government programs closer to our communities and give more Filipinos a fair opportunity for a better life.