Manny Pacquiao proposes National Bible Day in the Philippines

Professional boxer and Filipino Senator Manny Pacquiao has filed a bill which would designate every last Monday of January as "National Bible Day" and a regular holiday in the Philippines.

In the proposal, Pacquiao noted that 93 percent of the Philippine population are Christians, which is considered as the largest Christian population in the Asia-Pacific and fifth largest in the world.

"The core of Christian belief is grounded on the Holy Bible. Sermons and homilies of Christian churches dwell in the teachings of the Bible. It is the primary source of spiritual manna. It forms and transforms lives of people from generations to generations," the senator said, as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The bill which was filed on Wednesday stated, "as a predominantly Christian nation and the largest Christian nation in the Asia Pacific, this Act recognizes the value of the Holy Bible as the core of Christian faith."

"The last Monday of January and every year thereafter is hereby declared as a 'National Bible Day Act' and proclaim the same as a national holiday," it continued.

The senator also pointed out that previous presidents such as Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, and Fidel Ramos have made proclamations to emphasize the significance of the Bible. He said that their proclamations fall in line with the declaration of the last week of January every year as "National Bible Week."

Pacquiao has often referred to the Bible in making political decisions. In August, he expressed his support for the death penalty because he believes that the government has a Biblical mandate to execute criminals. He once drew criticism from the public for comparing homosexuals to animals when he expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage.

The Christian boxer has often proclaimed that his career and his entire life are based around serving God. In an April 2015 interview with The Christian Post, he explained that his passion is boxing, but he got into politics so that he could help create jobs to lift the Filipinos out of poverty.