In Pacquiao’s bailiwick, silence greets his ring return

There’s no Pacquiao-Barrios fight frenzy in General Santos City, and locals say the indifference may not just be about boxing, it could also be political

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines – As the world buzzes over Manny Pacquiao’s comeback fight, his hometown of General Santos City remains surprisingly quiet. Despite online buzz and media coverage, there’s little local fanfare on his ring return — none of the usual tarpaulins, streamers, or poster of fights past.

“Naa diay siya’y laban? (He has a fight?)” asks Naisa Amirol, 31, an ambulant vendor at General Santos City plaza.

It was a surprising answer, especially in General Santos City, the hometown and bailiwick of boxing legend and former senator Manny Pacquiao. 

LIFE GOES ON. There are no tarpaulins on streamers of Manny Pacquiao’s comeback fight along Jose Catolico Sr. Avenue, one of GenSan’s busiest thoroughfares, on July 16, 2025, just days before his bout on July 19 (July 20 in Manila). Photo by Rey Mark Paran/Rappler

In May, the eight-division world champion confirmed in his social media accounts his official return to the ring, four years since his retirement and just a year after his last exhibition match in Japan.

The sport’s only eight-division world champion will face Mexican-American Mario Barrios, the current World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion, in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 19 (Sunday, July 20, Manila time). 

But in Pacquiao’s own backyard, excitement is scarce. Locals say the silence may not just be about boxing, it could also be political.

The political knockout

While Pacquiao’s rise in boxing brought pride to General Santos City, his political career — especially his unsuccessful bid to return to the Senate — may have reshaped how his own people view him.

In 2022, his own bailiwick rejected him for Philippine president as Ferdinand Marcos Jr. topped the polls instead. Three years later, they did it again, with Pacquiao ranking only fifth in the senatorial race while the top four spots went to pro-Duterte candidates.

“He didn’t become the No. 1 senatorial candidate here in GenSan, maybe because he changed parties,” said Reynaldo Absin, 33, a tricycle driver. “I think that’s one of the reasons why people in Mindanao, especially here in GenSan, started questioning him. I myself wondered why he switched parties.”

“When he changed parties, I think that’s really the reason why he lost,” he added.

The damage began when Pacquiao broke up with then President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban party. After a highly publicized rift, he ran for president under PROMDI, a Cebu-based party, effectively abandoning his political home base. 

His political realignments didn’t end there. In the 2025 midterm elections, Pacquiao attempted a return to the Senate as part of the administration coalition Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, formed under the leadership of President Marcos Jr.

But the political climate in Mindanao was already shifting. In the months leading up to the elections, protests erupted across the region, including in General Santos City, following the collapse of the Marcos-Duterte UniTeam and the arrest of former Duterte by the International Criminal Court. 

Against this backdrop, Pacquiao’s candidacy struggled.

Still the ‘People’s Champ?’

Yet despite political setbacks and shifting allegiances, some residents insist that Pacquiao’s boxing and politics are different things. 

“Balik japun sa dati. Actually dili naman gud na mawala iyang pangalan sa boxing. Pacquiao na na eh,” said street vendor Nonoy Barrios.  

(It’s back to how it was. Actually, his name will never be gone in boxing. He’s Pacquiao, after all.)

Some locals told Rappler they will likely skip work or other activities on fight day, just as they did years ago.

In past years, Pacquiao’s fights would bring General Santos City to a standstill. Streets would clear, public screenings would be held in gymnasiums and plazas, and local businesses would tune in. 

But just days before the Pacquiao-Barrios fight, there’s no indication of similar preparations. As of Thursday, July 17, no local government-led promotions or community activities related to the bout had been announced.

Whether General Santos City still considers him their “Pambansang Kamao” may only become clear when the bell rings this weekend. – Rappler.com 

Rey Mark Paran is a senior statistics student at the University of the Philippines Visayas. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2025, he is also the managing editor of Pagbutlak.