Handover Ceremony of Manny Pacquaio Memorabilia 02/24/2026

National Sports Museum, Pasig City February 24, 2026 Marking a significant moment in the preservation of Philippine sports heritage, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. attended the handover ceremony of boxing legend Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao’s memorabilia at the National Sports Museum in Pasig City on February 24, 2026. “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. 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 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,” the President expressed in his speech. The handover ceremony formalized the addition of iconic artifacts from former Senator Pacquiao’s distinguished career to the National Sports Museum’s permanent collection. Among the items entrusted are the Representative Fight Trunk from the Miguel Cotto Bout in 2009, where he secured his seventh world title in his seventh different weight class; the Representative Fight Trunk from the Antonio Margarito Bout in 2010, in which he became the first and only fighter to win world titles in eight separate weight divisions; and the World Boxing Council (WBC) Championship Belt, a globally recognized symbol of excellence that represents not just victory but a legacy of resilience, courage and reinvention. “And we can say that sa buong kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, there was never a time when we were more proud to be Filipino than when Manny was winning all those fights and saying and… But hindi lang kasi napakagaling niya, never niya kinalimutan ang pagka-Pinoy niya,” the President said. The memorabilia represent more than milestones in a boxing career; they embody moments when Filipino determination, discipline and excellence resonated worldwide. With the National Sports Museum safeguarding these pieces of history, it affirms its role as a custodian of collective and cultural memory, transforming remarkable individual victories into lasting sources of national pride and inspiration for generations of athletes and citizens alike. “So, hindi lang siya champion sa 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,” President Marcos Jr. concluded in his message. Connect with RTVM Website: http://rtvm.gov.ph Facebook: www.facebook.com/presidentialcom and www.facebook.com/rtvmalacanang YouTube: @RTVMalacanang Tiktok: @RTVMalacanang