Good morning to all senior officials, colleagues, and staff. It’s good to be back!

Yesterday, I took my oath of office before President Bongbong Marcos as Secretary of Budget and Management. As you may know, in 2016 I was Assistant Secretary and in 2018 Undersecretary. As the Functional Group Head of the Office of the Secretary, I supervised the Department Liaison Office and was concurrent Director of the Budget Technical Bureau.

So, the DBM is familiar territory. And coming back here feels like I’ve come full circle. It feels like I’ve come home.

And so, my DBM family, let’s continue with the good work we started and build on our gains.

Budget reform is still my top priority. Part of this reform is the evaluation and streamlining of the Procurement Service to ensure proper oversight and stricter controls, and thus, safeguard the integrity of the procurement process.

Included in my Budget reform agenda is the digitalization of our public financial management. For starters, I want to roll out the Budget and Treasury Management System in all agencies, and institutionalize the Integrated financial management information system (IFMIS) throughout the bureaucracy. Internally, we will also digitalize our systems and processes—with the goal of removing discretion to make the DBM more efficient.

On the economy, we will maximize the limited fiscal space and prioritize President Bongbong Marcos’ food sufficiency, infrastructure, and climate change goals. We will undertake the digital transformation of the economy. We will ensure that government’s projects, activities, and programs reach the Filipino people. And we will do so with complete integrity and commitment to public service.

Joining me in this pursuit are the senior officials—old and new. And, of course, the asset of every institution, all of you. Tulungan po niyo akong gampanan ang aking tungkulin. Hinihiling ko po ang inyong sipag, tiyaga, at tiwala upang ibahin ang anyo ng ating ekonomiya. Tulungan natin ang ating Presidente at ang administrayong itong makamit ang mga layunin nito para sa Pilipinas at sa bawat Pilipino. Isapuso po natin ang #ParaSaBayan sa bawat galaw natin dito sa DBM.

Now, let me also take this opportunity to introduce the incoming senior officials.

Let me start with my Chief-of-Staff, Atty. Leo Angelo Larcia, whom some of you are already familiar with. He was at the DBM with me in 2017. Atty. Leo is a CPA-Lawyer. He was top 9 in the CPA Board and has a Juris Doctor from Ateneo Law School. As my Chief-of-Staff, he will handle the affairs of my office and will likewise lead the Internal Management Group.

Next is Wilford Wong, who will lead the Local Government and Regional Operations Group. He was the Chief-of-Staff of the Philippine Ambassador in Singapore and the Head of Political Affairs, Strategy, and Logistics of Senator Edgardo Angara. He has a Bachelor of Laws from FEU and an MBA from Coventry University, London.

We also have Dr. Joselito Basilio who is tasked to lead the Budget Policy and Strategy Group. He has a Master in Development Economics from UP, Master of Arts in Applied Economics from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Illinois.

Atty. Maria Francesca Del Rosario will be the Chief Information Officer. She will head the Information and Communications Technology Group. She was the Vice President and Head of Artificial Intelligence and Data Policy of the Unionbank of the Philippines.

Also joining us is Margaux Salcedo, who will spearhead the Communications, Advocacy, and Information Management Service. She was the Spokesperson of Former President Joseph Estrada, a former News Anchor of GMA 7, and has a Juris Doctor from Ateneo Law School.

Goddes Hope Libiran will lead the Media Affairs and Community Relations Project Management Unit and the Internal Audit Service. She was a former Assistant Secretary for Communications and Commuter Affairs and spokesperson for the DOTr. She has a Masters in Strategic Public Relations from the University of Sydney in Australia.

Dr. Romeo Balanquit will support Dr. Joselito Basilio with Budget Policy and Strategy. He has a Master of Arts in Economics from UP and a Ph.D. in Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India.

Last but not the least, Atty. Dennis Santiago. Most of you know him as the former Executive Director of the Government Procurement Policy Board. I can’t think of anyone better to lead and reform the DBM-PS.

With their help and our already strong lineup of senior officials: Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries Tina Canda, Atty. Janel Abuel, Rolando Toledo, Ike Bravo, Toto Magsino, and Cristy Clasara—let’s hit the ground running.

Let us craft a budget that will be responsive to the needs of Filipinos in this time of COVID and beyond. I know this will be challenging, as the unprecedented crisis has pushed our fiscal space to its limits.

Speaking of the unprecedented crisis, I commend the strong and competent leadership of Undersecretary Tina Canda. As captain of the DBM, she helped keep the economy afloat and facilitated the release of billions of funds for the country’s Covid-19 response, including the Covid-19 Hazard Pay and the Covid-19 Special Risk Allowance. The Economic Team was fortunate to have a powerhouse like her during the crisis.

Let’s all give her a round of applause.

Now with Secretary Diokno leading the economic team and with the current DBM team, I have no doubt that we can steer the economy to achieve the following goals:

1. Reduce the deficit-to-GDP ratio to 3 percent
2. Achieve upper-middle-income status
3. Reduce poverty to single digits

That said, let’s help build a better, stronger, and more inclusive Philippines. Maraming salamat at Mabuhay ang DBM. Mabuhay tayong lahat.