Childhood and Education Journey of Manny Pacquiao in Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Manny Pacquiao. A timeline of key moments.

Manny Pacquiao, a.k.a. "PacMan", is a Filipino icon renowned as one of boxing's all-time greats. He holds the distinction of being the only eight-division world champion in boxing history. Beyond his boxing achievements, Pacquiao transitioned into politics, serving as a senator of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

December 17, 1978: Manny Pacquiao Born

On December 17, 1978, Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. was born in Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines.

1990: Pacquiao Inspired by Buster Douglas Fight

In 1990, Manny Pacquiao watched James "Buster" Douglas defeat Mike Tyson with his Uncle Sardo, an experience that inspired him to pursue boxing.

May 10, 1999: Marriage to Jinkee Jamora

On May 10, 1999, Manny Pacquiao married Jinkee Jamora, marking the beginning of their family life together.

January 2004: Birth of Emmanuel "Eman" Bacosa

In January 2004, Emmanuel "Eman" Bacosa, Pacquiao's child with Joanna Rose Bacosa, was born.

December 2005: Took lead role in "Lisensyadong Kamao"

In December 2005, Manny Pacquiao took his first lead role in Violett Films' "Lisensyadong Kamao" (Licensed Fist).

2005: Molina Yields Role to Pacquiao

In 2005, Swimmer Miguel Molina, 2005 Southeast Asian Games' Best Male Athlete, yielded the role to Pacquiao, upon the request of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to national sports officials.

April 27, 2006: Enlisted as Military Reservist

On April 27, 2006, Manny Pacquiao enlisted as a military reservist in the Philippine Army as a sergeant.

June 21, 2006: Released "Pacquiao: The Movie"

On June 21, 2006, "Pacquiao: The Movie", a film based on Manny Pacquiao's life starring Jericho Rosales, was released. It was directed by Joel Lamangan but flopped at the box office.

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2006: Disclosure of Emmanuel "Eman" Bacosa

In 2006, Joanna Rose Bacosa disclosed the existence of her child with Manny Pacquiao named Emmanuel "Eman" Bacosa.

2006: Started releasing albums

In 2006, Manny Pacquiao began releasing albums.

February 12, 2007: Announced campaign for Philippine House seat

On February 12, 2007, Manny Pacquiao announced his campaign for a seat in the Philippine House of Representatives for the 1st District of South Cotabato province, running as a candidate of the Liberal Party faction, later running under KAMPI after being forced to by the courts.

February 2007: Pacquiao Earns High School Diploma

In February 2007, Manny Pacquiao passed a high school equivalency exam and was awarded a high school diploma by the Department of Education.

September 2007: Signed with GMA Network as actor and host

In September 2007, Manny Pacquiao signed with GMA Network as an actor and host after the expiration of his contract with ABS-CBN.

October 7, 2007: Promotion to Master Sergeant

On October 7, 2007, Manny Pacquiao was promoted to Master Sergeant in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army.

2007: Enrolled at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University

In 2007, Manny Pacquiao enrolled at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU) to pursue a bachelor's degree in business administration, majoring in marketing management.

2008: Continued Studies at NDDU

In 2008, Manny Pacquiao continued his studies at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University (NDDU) under the bachelor's degree program of business administration major in marketing management. However, he did not complete the program.

2008: Pacquiao Serves as Philippine Flag Bearer at Olympics

In 2008, Manny Pacquiao participated in the parade of nations at the Summer Olympics opening ceremony as the Philippine delegation's flag bearer, becoming the first-ever non-participant to serve in this role.

2008: Starred in "Anak ng Kumander"

In 2008, Manny Pacquiao starred with Ara Mina and Valerie Concepcion in "Anak ng Kumander" (Child of a Commander). The movie was not commercially successful and received negative reviews.

May 4, 2009: Designated Command Sergeant Major

On May 4, 2009, Manny Pacquiao was given the special rank of Senior Master Sergeant and was designated as the Command Sergeant Major of the 15th Ready Reserve Division.

November 3, 2009: Performed "Sometimes When We Touch" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

On November 3, 2009, Manny Pacquiao covered "Sometimes When We Touch", originally by Dan Hill, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, marking his first singing performance on American TV.

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November 21, 2009: Announced run for congressional seat in Sarangani

On November 21, 2009, Manny Pacquiao announced his intention to run for a congressional seat in Sarangani province.

December 25, 2009: Released "Wapakman" as film festival entry

On December 25, 2009, Manny Pacquiao's superhero/comedy film, "Wapakman", was released as an entry to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival. The film was not commercially successful.

2009: Included in Time's 100 and Forbes Celebrity 100

In 2009, Manny Pacquiao was named one of Time's 100 most influential people and was included in Forbes' Celebrity 100 list.

March 3, 2010: Covered "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

On March 3, 2010, Manny Pacquiao returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! to cover another song, "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You".

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May 2010: Elected to House of Representatives

In May 2010, Manny Pacquiao was elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines, representing Sarangani province, defeating Roy Chiongbian.

June 25, 2010: Completes Crash Course

On June 25, 2010, Manny Pacquiao completed a 10-day crash course on Development Legislation and Governance at the Development Academy of the Philippines.

2010: Pacquiao Enters Politics

In 2010, Manny Pacquiao entered politics and was elected as the representative of Sarangani.

2010: Praised for human trafficking speech, criticized for reproductive health bill discussion

In 2010, Manny Pacquiao received praise for a speech on human trafficking. However, he also faced criticism for appearing uninformed during a discussion on the reproductive health bill that year.

2010: Elected as Congressman

In 2010, Manny Pacquiao was elected as the congressman representing the lone district of Sarangani.

April 2011: Released single, reached Billboard chart

In April 2011, Manny Pacquiao released Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch" as a single, which reached number 19 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, making him one of the few Southeast Asians to enter a US Billboard chart.

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2013: Re-elected to 16th Congress of the Philippines

In 2013, Manny Pacquiao was re-elected to the 16th Congress of the Philippines, running unopposed. His wife, Jinkee, was elected as vice-governor of Sarangani.

April 17, 2014: Pacquiao Joins Philippine Basketball Association

On April 17, 2014, Manny Pacquiao announced his intention to join the Philippine Basketball Association as the playing coach of Kia Motors Basketball team.

September 4, 2014: Pacquiao Trains with Golden State Warriors

On September 4, 2014, Manny Pacquiao trained with the Golden State Warriors at their training facility in preparation for his PBA stint.

2014: Pacquiao Becomes Player-Coach in PBA

From 2014 to 2017, Manny Pacquiao was the player-coach for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team Kia/Mahindra.

April 15, 2015: Released "Kid Kulafu"

On April 15, 2015, "Kid Kulafu", a film based on Manny Pacquiao's early life in boxing starring Buboy Villar, was released. It dramatizes his life during childhood.

October 5, 2015: Declared candidacy for senator

On October 5, 2015, Manny Pacquiao formally declared his candidacy for senator under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party.

2015: Released extended play and announced retirement from music

In 2015, Manny Pacquiao released an extended play featuring his recorded entrance song for his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and shortly announced his retirement from music.

2015: Continued releasing albums

Until 2015, Manny Pacquiao continued to release albums.

February 2016: Controversial Statement on Same-Sex Marriage and Fallout

In February 2016, Manny Pacquiao made controversial statements against same-sex marriage, comparing those in same-sex relationships to animals. This led to criticism, an apology, and the termination of his partnership with Nike. He was also banned from The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles.

May 19, 2016: Elected as senator

On May 19, 2016, Manny Pacquiao was formally elected as a senator by the Commission on Elections, garnering over 16 million votes and landing in 7th place.

September 18, 2016: Facilitated ouster of Leila de Lima from Senate committee

On September 18, 2016, Manny Pacquiao, aligned with the Duterte government, facilitated the ouster of Leila de Lima from the chairmanship of the Senate Justice committee.

2016: Executive Coaching Program

From June 8 to 17, 2016, Manny Pacquiao underwent a 9-day Executive Coaching Program crash course conducted by various institutions after winning a senate seat.

2016: Pacquiao Becomes a Senator

In 2016, Manny Pacquiao was elected and assumed office as a senator in the Philippines.

2016: End of Term as Congressman

In 2016, Manny Pacquiao's term as the congressman representing the lone district of Sarangani concluded.

2017: Defended Paolo Duterte in drug shipment allegations

In 2017, Manny Pacquiao defended then-Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte from allegations of involvement in a seized ₱6.4-billion drug shipment from Xiamen, China.

2018: Filed Senate bills and backed capital punishment

As of 2018, Manny Pacquiao had filed a total of 31 Senate bills during the 17th Congress and backed the return of capital punishment in a bill filed alongside Senator Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go.

June 2019: Worst attendance record among senators

In June 2019, data released by the Philippine Senate showed that Manny Pacquiao had the worst attendance record among all senators in the 17th Congress. Despite this poor attendance, he managed to enact four laws from the bills he filed.

December 11, 2019: Graduation from the University of Makati

On December 11, 2019, Manny Pacquiao graduated from the University of Makati with a bachelor's degree in political science, majoring in local government administration.

2019: Announced plan to own an NBA team

In 2019, Manny Pacquiao announced his plans to own an NBA team after retiring from boxing.

June 2020: Expressed intention to run for president in 2022

As early as June 2020, Manny Pacquiao's former promoter Bob Arum revealed that Pacquiao expressed his intention to run for president in 2022, leading to widespread speculations about a presidential bid.

December 2020: Became acting party president of PDP–Laban

In December 2020, Manny Pacquiao became the acting party president of PDP–Laban after Koko Pimentel resigned. However, the position was later disputed between Pacquiao and Alfonso Cusi.

2020: Worked with Jack Ma to bring COVID-19 test kits to Philippines

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Manny Pacquiao collaborated with Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma to facilitate the delivery of 50,000 COVID-19 test kits to the Philippines through their respective charity foundations.

2020: Pacquiao Becomes Leader of PDP-Laban Party

In 2020, Manny Pacquiao became the leader of the then-ruling PDP–Laban party.

2020: Cast as General Miguel Malvar in biopic

In 2020, Manny Pacquiao was cast to portray General Miguel Malvar in the upcoming biopic film "Malvar: Tuloy ang Laban," which generated mixed reactions from the Malvar family.

May 2021: Filed bill proposing Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports Commission

In May 2021, Senator Pacquiao filed a bill proposing to create the Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports Commission. Senator Pia Cayetano criticized the timing of the proposal during the coronavirus pandemic.

June 2021: Criticized Duterte's response to China's claims in South China Sea

In June 2021, Manny Pacquiao criticized President Duterte's response to China's claims in the South China Sea, leading to a rebuke from Duterte and a challenge to name corrupt individuals or agencies.

September 19, 2021: Pacquiao Declares Candidacy for President

On September 19, 2021, Manny Pacquiao officially declared his candidacy for President of the Philippines in the 2022 presidential election.

September 29, 2021: Pacquiao Announces Retirement from Boxing

On September 29, 2021, Manny Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing via a post on social media.

2021: Involvement in video games

In 2021, Filipino game developer Ranida Games announced that a mobile game revolving around Manny Pacquiao's boxing career, "Fighting Pride: The Manny Pacquiao Saga" is in the works.

March 2022: Challenged Bongbong Marcos to a debate

In March 2022, amid news about Bongbong Marcos' unsettled estate tax dues, Manny Pacquiao challenged Marcos to a one-on-one debate and criticized those who would vote for a "plunderer."

March 2022: Struggled in presidential surveys

Since the campaign period started in February, Manny Pacquiao had struggled in the presidential surveys with low ratings ranking fourth to fifth among the candidates, dropping to as low as 1.8 percent on the March 2022 poll by Publicus Asia and 8 percent on Pulse Asia with his disapproval rating going up.

May 2022: Called for the release of Senator Leila De Lima

In May 2022, Manny Pacquiao called for the "speedy release" of fellow Senator Leila De Lima, who had been detained for five years, after witnesses against De Lima retracted their testimony.

2022: Graduation with Master's Degree

In 2022, Manny Pacquiao graduated from Philippine Christian University with a master's degree in management, majoring in public administration.

2022: Pacquiao Loses Presidential Election

In 2022, Manny Pacquiao lost the presidential election to Bongbong Marcos.

2022: Potential negative campaign in 2022 elections

In 2022, President Duterte challenged Pacquiao to name certain individuals or agencies, otherwise he will launch a negative campaign against the senator in the 2022 elections.

2022: Presidential run speculations

In 2022, speculations spread around a possible Manny Pacquiao run for president, backed by his own expression of interest in a presidential bid.

August 2023: YouTube Channel Subscribers Count

As of August 2023, Manny Pacquiao's YouTube channel had 990,000 subscribers. His family members also have their own YouTube channels.

September 23, 2023: Emmanuel Bacosa Boxing Debut

On September 23, 2023, Emmanuel "Eman" Bacosa, Pacquiao's son, made his boxing debut, which ended in a draw, following in his father's footsteps.

December 15, 2023: Emmanuel Bacosa Wins Boxing Match

On December 15, 2023, Emmanuel "Eman" Bacosa dedicated his win against Noel Pangantao to his father, Manny Pacquiao.

May 27, 2024: Mary Divine Grace Graduates Secondary School

On May 27, 2024, Mary Divine Grace "Princess" Pacquiao graduated from Brent International School.

September 26, 2024: Named senatorial candidate for Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas

On September 26, 2024, Manny Pacquiao was named as a senatorial candidate for the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas in the 2025 elections, running under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

October 7, 2024: Formalized bid for senator

On October 7, 2024, Manny Pacquiao formalized his bid for senator by filing his certificate of candidacy.

2025: Pacquiao Retires from Politics

Following his unsuccessful campaign in the 2025 Senate election, Manny Pacquiao announced his intention to retire from politics and came out of retirement from boxing.

2025: Lost bid for senate

In 2025, Manny Pacquiao would eventually lose his bid for the senate, placing 18th, garnering 10,397,133 votes. He has considered leaving politics after returning to boxing.