Manny Pacquiao on Being KO'd in Politics

When I ran for Congress in 2007, I made the decision right away, without preparation. There’s a lot of poverty in my province. I wanted to represent them. I came from the dirt like everyone else. I finished a fight in San Antonio [a victory over Jorge Solis of Mexico], then I flew to the Philippines to campaign. I wasn’t prepared. I lost.

Some people thought I would not try again, but I came up with a better plan. I made the decision to run earlier. This time [in 2010] I prepared two years, and I won. I hope people are pleased with my performance as a politician over the past two years. I’ve implemented a lot of programs for families, scholarships for education. My goal has always been to fight poverty. Before I met President Obama last year, I saw Senator [Harry] Reid and asked him about a bill in Washington that would create jobs in our garment industry. For me, this is an important job.