Bongbong Marcos Appoints Manny Pacquiao as New Anti-Poverty Chief
MANNY PACQUIAO – Former senator Manny Pacquiao is taking on a new challenge after Marcos appointed him as lead convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed boxing icon and former senator Manny Pacquiao as the lead convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), giving him the rank of a Cabinet secretary.
The appointment brings Pacquiao back into government service after several years away from an official public position. The 47-year-old former world champion is expected to take his oath before Marcos at Malacañang on Tuesday, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO). First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos are also expected to be present during the ceremony.
Pacquiao succeeds Lope Santos III, who had headed the NAPC as lead convenor since 2023.
The NAPC was created under Republic Act No. 8425 and is tasked with helping coordinate poverty reduction efforts between national and local governments. It also provides a mechanism for marginalized communities to have a voice in government policymaking and decision-making.
While Marcos serves as chair of the commission, Pacquiao will oversee the NAPC Secretariat in his role as lead convenor.
His appointment follows Marcos’ issuance of Executive Order No. 123, which moved supervision and control of the NAPC and the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the Office of the President.
Pacquiao brings extensive experience in both sports and politics. He is recognized as the only eight-division world champion in boxing history and has captured 12 major world titles. In 2025, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Before returning to government, Pacquiao spent 12 consecutive years in Congress. He represented Sarangani in the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2016 before serving as a senator from 2016 to 2022.
He also ran for president in the 2022 elections but was defeated by Marcos. He later joined the 2025 senatorial race under Marcos’ Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas but failed to secure a seat, finishing 18th with 10,397,133 votes.
Pacquiao previously announced plans to leave politics and return to boxing. His new NAPC position is separate from Secretary Larry Gadon’s role as presidential adviser for poverty alleviation.
