Noynoy Aquino joins the ranks of her mom Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao as the elite group of Pinoys who graced the cover of the prestigious TIME magazine.

TIME Magazine’s April 26 issue, “The New Aquino: Can Noynoy Save the Philippines?” written by Ishaan Tharoor, described Aquino as an “unlikely man of the moment,” who keeps the hope of millions of Filipinos alive by continuing the Aquino family legacy.

He was quoted by TIME by saying “We are just instruments put in the right position to execute God’s will…They made automatic in me the preference to take up the cudgels for those who have less in life, for the powerless.”

Economics professor Winnie Monsod was quoted in the article as stating that Aquino “doesn’t have his father’s charisma, but he has his mother’s sincerity. Whether that’s enough, I don’t know.”

TIME had featured Noynoy’s mom Mrs. Corazon Aquino thrice on its cover. The first was in 1986 when she was named Woman of the Year, the second in 2006 when she was named among 60 Asian Heroes, and last after she died in August 2009 when she was declared “The Saint of Democracy.”

Noynoy ‘The Next Aquino’ on the cover of TIME Magazine originally appeared on Starmometer on April 22, 2010.

Our Pacman, Pacquiao’s moniker, has been lined up with other boxing greats like Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Frazier, and Muhammad Ali as he appears on the cover of Time Magazine Asia.

Manny Pacquiao is the second non-heavyweight professional boxer to be featured on the cover of the well-respected magazine, and the first Asian boxer at that.

Other boxers who had made it to the magazine’s cover include heavyweights Jack Dempsey, Primo Carnerra, Gene Tunney and the controversial Mike Tyson.

Pacquiao said being featured in the magazine is the “most humbling experience” in his boxing career.

“It is a great honor for me to be the face of my people and let everyone know we are a small but mighty country”, He said.

Pacquiao will attempt to make history in his bout with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas. If he wins the match, he will be the first boxer to ever record seven world titles in seven different weight classes.

For the record, Pacquiao has won titles in the junior welterweight, lightweight, super featherweight, featherweight, super bantamweight and flyweight divisions.

Manny Pacquiao Covers TIME Magazine originally appeared on Starmometer on November 7, 2009.