Philippines' Pacquiao takes up fight against poverty in Marcos cabinet

MANILA, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Boxing great Manny Pacquiao spent decades throwing punches in the boxing ring. From Tuesday, the Filipino sports icon will ‌direct his fight at a more enduring opponent: poverty.

Pacquiao joined President Ferdinand ‌Marcos Jr.'s cabinet on Tuesday 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 $2 per fight. His net worth was $220 million last year, 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% by 2028. Government data showed the rate fell to 9.7% 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.

(Reporting by Karen Lema ​and Nestor Corrales; Editing by Michael Perry)