Philippines’ Pacquiao takes up fight against poverty in Marcos Cabinet
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Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was appointed head of the Philippine government’s anti-poverty agency.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Manny Pacquiao was appointed head of the Philippines’ National Anti-Poverty Commission on Sept 8 to lead government efforts against poverty.
- Pacquiao draws on his own experience of poverty to help Filipinos, aiming to reduce poverty incidence to 8-9 per cent by 2028.
- The former boxing champion, with a net worth of US$220 million, is a revered national figure who recently returned to boxing after retiring in 2021.
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MANILA – Boxing great Manny Pacquiao spent decades throwing punches in the boxing ring. From Sept 8, the Filipino sports icon will direct his fight at a more enduring opponent: poverty.
Pacquiao joined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s Cabinet on Sept 8 as head of the government’s anti-poverty agency, vowing to help Filipinos facing hardships all too familiar to him.
The 47-year-old former senator was appointed lead convener of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), his first Cabinet post after a long political career that included service in Congress and the Senate, an unsuccessful 2022 presidential run and a failed bid to return to the Senate in 2025 as part of Marcos’ administration-backed ticket.
As NAPC chief, Pacquiao will coordinate government efforts to reduce poverty, which he said he understands firsthand.
“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, who came from impoverished beginnings, worked as a ship stowaway and fought on the streets as a boy, earning US$2 (S$2.50) per fight. His net worth was US$220 million in 2025, according to a Sports Illustrated article.
He takes over the anti-poverty agency as the Marcos administration seeks to cut poverty incidence to 8-9 per cent by 2028. Government data showed the rate fell to 9.7 per cent in 2025, equivalent to about 11.08 million Filipinos living below the poverty line.
The only boxer to win world titles in eight weight divisions, Pacquiao remains among the Philippines’ most revered sporting figures, with his biggest fights drawing everyone from presidents and Hollywood stars to ordinary Filipinos, often bringing the nation of 119 million people to a standstill.
The southpaw retired in 2021 but returned to the ring in July 2025 to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2025. REUTERS