Manny Pacquiao has joined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cabinet as head of the Philippines’ National Anti-Poverty Commission.
The 47-year-old former boxing champion and senator was appointed lead convener of the agency on September 8, marking his first cabinet position after previous service in Congress and the Senate, as well as an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2022.
Pacquiao said his own upbringing in poverty gives him a personal understanding of the challenges facing millions of Filipinos. “I came from poverty,” he said. “I experienced sleeping on cardboard on the streets, drinking only water, having nothing to eat.”
As head of the commission, Pacquiao will coordinate government efforts aimed at reducing poverty. The Marcos administration is targeting a national poverty rate of 8-9% by 2028, after government data placed the figure at 9.7% in 2025.
Pacquiao remains one of the Philippines’ most prominent sporting figures, having won world titles in eight weight divisions. He retired from boxing in 2021 before returning in July 2025 to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title.
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