Manila: Former senator and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao returns to government service as lead convenor and secretary of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), four years after leaving the Senate.

According to Philippines News Agency, Pacquiao officially took his oath before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malaca±ang on Tuesday, with Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos in attendance. Pacquiao replaces Lope Santos III.

The appointment gives Pacquiao a Cabinet post under Republic Act 8425, or the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act, which provides that the NAPC lead convenor serves as head of the commission secretariat and has the rank of a Cabinet secretary. The NAPC was created as the government's coordinating and advisory body to implement the Social Reform Agenda.

Its mandate includes coordinating poverty-alleviation programs among national and local government units and the private sector, monitoring their implementation, recommending policy measures, and ensuring the participation of basic sectors in policymaking. The commission also oversees and recommends measures on the formulation, implementation and evaluation of social reform and poverty-alleviation programs and resource allocation.

Pacquiao's return marks his first government post since his six-year Senate term ended in June 2022. Instead of seeking reelection in 2022, Pacquiao ran for president and finished third behind Marcos and then-vice president Leni Robredo. He later sought a return to the Senate in the 2025 midterm elections as part of the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate, but fell short of the 12 available Senate seats.

Beyond politics, Pacquiao remains one of the Philippines' most recognized athletes, being the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight weight divisions. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of its 2025 class.

Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Secretary Larry Gadon welcomed Pacquiao's appointment. 'His appointment is very timely now that the administration is pushing for further reduction of poverty incidence and the NAPC with the right direction could help more to achieve the poverty reduction efforts,' Gadon said in a statement.