Explainer: Can Manny Pacquiao Help Philippines Punch Its Way Out Of Poverty?

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Political observers were surprised at the appointment of boxing legend Emmanuel 'Manny' Pacquiao as lead convenor of the Philippine National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday.

Pundits were quick to conclude that Marcos needed the world's only eight-division boxing champion's enduring popularity to help pick up sagging approval ratings after a raging corruption scandal blew up in his face in 2025.

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Will the“Pacman” be able to knock out poverty in less than 22 months when the Marcos administration bows out of the ring? Or will he be used as a mere deodorant or window dressing by a president increasingly on the ropes politically?

Here's a dive into Pacquiao's history as a public servant that could influence his decisions as anti-poverty czar and a look at what is in store for him in the remaining two years of the Marcos presidency.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. What is Pacquiao's political background?

Like several sporting heroes before him (notably basketball stars), Pacquiao entered Philippine politics on the strength of his popularity among the Filipino masses. At his peak as a boxing champ, Pacquiao first ran for a seat in the House of Representatives in 2007 representing South Cotabato's 1st district, but lost. Lacking a campaign machinery that knew what it was doing, he was KO'ed by a well-entrenched political dynasty represented by the Antonino-Custodio family.

In the 2010 elections, he threw his hat back into the ring, but in a different district and his true hometown, Sarangani province. He won this time, eventually serving two consecutive three-year terms until 2016.

Reflecting his illustrious boxing career, Pacquiao climbed a division higher and ran for the Philippine Senate in the same year. He finished in the middle of the pack, in 7th place with slightly more than 16 million votes, giving him a six-year term in the upper chamber until 2022.

As a fellow Mindanaoan, Pacquiao was initially allied with controversial president Rodrigo Duterte. He even allowed himself to serve as president of the ruling PDP-Laban Party, with Duterte as its chairman. In the Senate, Pacquiao supported the ouster of Duterte critic Senator Leila de Lima from her committee chair.

Initially, Pacquiao also supported Duterte's bloody“war on drugs.” Duterte is now facing trial for alleged crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

But the legendary pugilist eventually had a falling out with Duterte, criticising the former strongman's“soft stance” on Chinese aggression in Philippine-claimed territory in the South China Sea. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Pacquiao also said corruption worsened under Duterte due to questionable purchases by the Department of Health and spending of relief funds by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

An irate Duterte dismissed Pacquiao's claims and called him "punch-drunk." The then president challenged Pacquiao to name corrupt officials, marking a complete breakdown of their political alliance.

What is Pacquiao's legislative record on poverty?

Pacquiao co-authored 25 pieces of legislation in his 12 years as representative and senator that eventually became laws. During his tenure in the House of Representatives (2010–2016) and the Senate (2016–2022), Pacquiao's legislative record on poverty focused primarily on peripheral socio-economic reforms, housing, healthcare, and financial relief, rather than a singular landmark anti-poverty omnibus law.

Predictably, Pacquiao consistently supported bills to raise the minimum wage and improve workers' pay. He backed a wage hike proposal by progressive lawmakers as a congressman in 2011 by co-authoring House Bill 375 that sought a substantial legislated salary increase. He also proposed a national salary standardisation scheme to reduce the wage gap between urban centers and rural areas.

Even the militant labour federation Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement) hailed him as a genuine People's Champ for his pro-labour stance as legislator.

His performance in floor debates, however, betrayed his lack of academic training and expertise on many other social issues, relying instead on his personal background of extreme poverty to craft his legislative stance and public issuances. The strength of his familiarity with poverty was his main campaign platform when he ran for the presidency of the Philippines in 2022.

What if Pacman became Philippine president?

The then presidential candidate revealed in a forum by peace advocates that he may have been an armed rebel if he did not become a legendary boxing champion.“If I did not become a boxer, there was a big chance that I would be in the mountains bearing arms,” Pacquiao said in the Peace and the Presidentiables online forum by peace advocates and universities in 2022.

The lone eight-division boxing champ promised that he will revive the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to address the root causes of poverty, underdevelopment, and corruption in the country.“We should listen to them (rebels). There is a solution to every problem. They ask nothing but development and food for everybody,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.

He underscored land grabbed from farmers and indigenous peoples by powerful and rich people, particularly those in government, must be returned.“If I become president, I will not allow that to happen. I will cut the horns off the heads of the greedy and corrupt in government,” he vowed.

Pacquiao eventually lost to the candidate who appointed him as anti-poverty agency chief, finishing third behind Marcos and former Vice President Leni Robredo.

In the past four years, Pacquiao contented himself with supporting kin who ran in local elective positions, including the current General Santos City mayor and Sarangani Province governor. His son, cousins and in-laws are also elected local officials, making the Pacquiaos a full-fledged political dynasty.

Political dynasties strongly correlate with higher poverty rates, a 2013 study conducted by Ateneo de Manila University concluded.

How is Pacquaio expected to fight poverty?

Now a multi-billionaire, Pacquiao is known to be generous to fellow Filipinos. He used part of his earnings from what was then reported as the most lucrative boxing match in history against Floyd Mayweather in 2015 to build a village for homeless compatriots. He is also known for handing out cash to long lines of poor Filipinos after each fight-win or lose-even helping former boxing champs who have fallen into hard times.

The new Cabinet secretary has yet to issue details of his strategy as the Philippine government's anti-poverty chief. The NAPC, in congratulating its new chief, said the new lead convenor is tasked with advancing the government's framework for the development of poor sectors and promoting the five fundamental rights of the poor.

But Pacquiao's office is not a member of any powerful and resource-rich Cabinet group. Instead, it is part of what is called the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet Cluster, bannered by the DSWD, that is focused on providing dole-outs during disasters such as typhoons and flooding, or geopolitical catastrophes such as the US-Israel war against Iran that has heavily impacted the Philippine economy.

The Marcos government currently labors under a diving currency, that is at its historic low, driving inflation to meteoric highs. Recently, the Philippine central bank chief simplistically blamed Filipinos' growing habit of online shopping and failure to save in a bizarre effort to explain the country's spiraling economy.

It is hard to predict whether Pacquiao would have a different explanation for his people's poverty and propose a radical solution. Or he may simply lend his glimmer to help buoy a president's sinking political fortunes.

It is still early rounds.

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