Marcos honors Manny Pacquiao as champion of humanity at National Sports Museum

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday honored Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, calling him a champion of humanity. 

Marcos praised the Filipino boxer during the handover ceremony of the latter's memorabilia at the National Sports Museum in Pasig City.

''What can I say about Manny Pacquiao and his boxing career that hasn’t been said before? Because lahat – all the superlatives that can possibly be used, all the praise that can possibly be had by an athlete have already been heaped upon him and well deserved,'' Marcos said. 

''And today, we are given the opportunity to be in his reflected glory. Dahil alam naman natin that – there is no other boxer – nalampasan mo pa pati si (you've even surpassed) Muhammad Ali eh – there is no other boxer, there is no other athlete, for that matter, who gained the plaudits all around the world and of course in the Philippines,'' he added. 

Marcos shared how Pacquiao helped fellow Filipino boxers who no longer have jobs or are no longer fighting in the boxing ring. He said this was the side of Pacquiao most people do not know about. 

''Lahat ‘yun tinulungan ni Manny. Hindi niya sinasabi kahit na kanino. Kung hindi nila in-announce doon sa programa na ‘yun, nobody would know about it. Ganyan ang ugali, ganyan ang pagkatao ng ating Manny Pacquiao,'' Marcos said.

(Manny helped all of them. He’s not saying it to other people. If it wasn’t announced in the program, nobody would know about it. That’s Manny Pacquiao’s attitude.) 

"So, hindi lang siya champion sa boxing (He is not only a champion in boxing). He is a champion of humanity. He is a champion as a Filipino. He is a champion as a man. And he is a champion in all our hearts and he will always be our champion. He will always be our Filipino champion,'' he added.

Marcos and Pacquiao became rivals in the 2022 presidential elections. 

Pacquiao came out of retirement after nearly four years in July 2025 in a bid to become the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history. He fell short in a majority draw against WBC belt holder Mario Barrios, 30, in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao is set to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. this September. 

In the event, Marcos was presented with symbolic mementos from Pacquiao’s boxing career, featuring two pairs of competition shorts as well as a world championship belt that cemented his legacy as the only boxer in history to win titles in eight weight categories.

These “championship artifacts” and gear will be safeguarded in the newly established National Sports Museum, ensuring that the achievements of the boxing icon are not only remembered but also shared.

In November 2025, Marcos and First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos unveiled the modernized museum when they reopened the newly refurbished facilities at the PhilSports Complex.  — RSJ, GMA Integrated News