A pleasant morning to the President and CEO of the Development Academy of the Philippines, Atty. Engelbert Caronan, Jr., our fellow workers in the government, partners from the private sector, and everyone who is watching us today.

Today’s event is anchored on the Government Quality Management Program (GQMP) which aims to ensure citizen satisfaction through government-wide quality improvement and building capacities across public sector organizations. In other words, it is designed to steer the bureaucracy towards a more “citizen-centered service delivery.” If realized, then we will hear less “ang haba ng pila,” “ang gulo ng sistema,” “ang hirap maging mahirap” remarks from our fellow Filipinos. I believe this is what we all want to achieve.

Hence, I want my message to revolve around the main stakeholders that will help us advance public service to accelerate the country’s recovery and transformation. They are our allies whose insights could be integrated into our ideas on how we could improve our productivity.

First, the business community—owners, entrepreneurs, managers, and their representatives—is our partner in nation-building and providing services to our fellow Filipinos. These businesses have direct interaction with our people and bridge us with them. They are aware of the long lines, the waiting, and the urgent need for our services. So today, let us listen to them and the results of the studies on the key issues affecting public service delivery wherein they are a part of the respondents.

Second, the government offices, where the majority of us belong. Throughout my years of service in the government, I had learned from my mentors, especially the late Senator Edgardo Angara, that we must always strive for reform-oriented public service. We must not be fixated on the work that needs to be done but on what we want to see for our people—better lives because of well-thought and strategic reforms. Hence, may we all learn and adopt the recommendations on improved productivity, innovation, and inclusive engagement which will be presented later.

Lastly, our most important stakeholder, the public. I hope that we will welcome their realities, no matter how distant they may be from our experiences. Let us evaluate their responses objectively and keep in mind that they do not merely complain; they are voicing out their experiences and needs. The best response is to listen and act on their concerns—decisively, intelligently, and with the utmost integrity.

This event, highlighting “Advancing Public Service Quality to Accelerate Recovery and Transformation,” is a helpful avenue for exchange, learning, and collaboration among these stakeholders. Digital transformation, cashless transactions, and virtual and flexible work, among others, have redefined our lives, and are products of fruitful discussions that have clear objectives.

Since the following talks will tackle the results of thorough studies and the recommendations of experts, as well the productivity agenda which we are called to contribute to, I hope that we will use them to be better at what we do, adjust what needs to be refined, and scrap what is not helpful.

In summary, I encourage all of us to be proactive learners and teachers, not just now, but constantly. Let us acknowledge our limitations, what we have done, and where we are now. Then let us challenge ourselves, again and again.

At this juncture, I would just like to give you an overview of what the Department of Budget and Management has done to contribute to improved productivity and public service delivery of the bureaucracy. We have prioritized in the Fiscal Year 2023 Proposed National Budget the enhancement of our bureaucratic efficiency. We believe that structural reforms are vital in uplifting the individual capacities of our people, including government employees.

We pursued investments in information and communications technology in order to transform and digitalize government processes, records, and databases through e-governance. Php 12.47 billion of the national budget was proposed for our ICT and digitalization programs and projects. The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) was allocated Php 149 million for the strengthened implementation of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.

At the DBM, we will fast-track the development and implementation of the Budget and Treasury Management System, or BTMS, together with the Department of Finance, the Bureau of the Treasury, and the Commission on Audit. It is a centralized database that records real-time information on financial transactions across government agencies, from purchase to payment.

Through these, we hope that the whole government will be able to provide the quality of public service that every Filipino deserves. Not only because they are taxpayers who fund these projects, but most importantly, because they are people who have the right to live decent lives, and whom we gave the oath to serve when we chose to become public servants. Let’s all learn from each other and work towards a better Philippines for all.

Assalamu alaikum. Mabuhay ang bawat Pilipino!

To the Secretariat headed by Executive Director Maria Marcy Cosare-Ballesteros; members of the CES Governing Board; Atty. Engelbert Caronan; Usec. Luis Pagulayan; guests and resource speakers; participants, good day.

First, I would like to commend the CES Board for the successful conduct of the 2022 CES Lifelong Learning for Leadership Congress as part of their 49th Founding Anniversary. Honing career administrators and leaders in public service for almost five decades is not an easy feat. So for this, my heartfelt congratulations.

With the theme “Bounce Back Better,” this year’s CES Congress is a fitting continuation of last year’s theme ”Resilience”. Indeed, today’s ambiguous, uncertain, and volatile world—coupled with the impacts of continuing global health crises, worsening climate change, and constantly wavering external environment—means that we can no longer go back to the status quo. The world as we know it today demands that beyond resilience, we must bounce back better.

The Administration is now focused not only on regaining, but also on surpassing our pre-pandemic economic momentum.—as evidenced by the 7.6 percent GDP growth for the third quarter of 2022—

In fact, the Administration’s Medium Term Fiscal Framework emphasizes economic transformation towards inclusivity and sustainability, which means:

(1) achieving 6.5-7.5% real GDP growth in 2022 and 6.5-8% real GDP growth annually between 2023 to 2028;

(2) single digit or at least 9% poverty rate by 2028;

(3) 3% National Government deficit to GDP ratio by 2028;

(4) Less than 60% National Government debt-to-GDP ratio by 2025; And

(5) Attaining upper middle income status.

To achieve these goals, we need bureaucratic efficiency, one of the goals of the Administration’s 8-Point SocioEconomic Agenda.

I cannot think of a better forum to discuss this specific agenda on bureaucratic efficiency because everyone here is a frontliner in your own right in our pursuit of an agile bureaucracy.

Towards this goal, the Department of Budget and Management, through the 2023 Proposed National Budget, has been pushing for the digital transformation of the bureaucracy, as well as the streamlining, improvement, and simplification of government processes.

For instance, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) was allocated Php 9.8 billion to implement its programs and projects next year that will support the transformation to a technologically-driven and digital economy. These include the Free Public Internet Access Program, National Government Data Center Infrastructure, National Broadband Plan, and the National Government Portal.

Also, some Php 8.5 billion was allotted to accelerate the transition to digital governance through ICT Systems and Infostructure Development, Management, and Advisory Program; Revenue Information Systems Development and Infrastructure Support; and the Customs Modernization Project, among others.

Together with the Department of Finance, Bureau of the Treasury, and Commission on Audit, we are also fast tracking the roll-out of the Budget and Treasury Management System or BTMS to improve bureaucratic efficiency throughout the Public Financial Management process through digitalization.

This will improve our data governance by generating real-time, accurate and vital financial information which will aid government managers to make timely and data-driven decisions. This will ultimately result in better cash management, effective financial control, accountability, and oversight with financial management systems integration across the bureaucracy.

We will also work with Congress towards the enactment of the PBBM or the Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized Governance Bill, which shall facilitate the development and implementation of the Integrated Financial Management Information System and the gradual implementation of the Cash Budgeting System.

Furthermore, we are embarking on digital transformation for the government's procurement process to enable more efficient and transparent public procurement.

Another undertaking to promote bureaucratic efficiency is the National Government Rightsizing Program. President Bongbong Marcos himself has touted this program as “a reform mechanism that seeks to enhance the government’s institutional capacity to perform its mandate and provide better services, while ensuring optimal and efficient use of our resources.”

In fact, the Career Executive Service is a product of a similar effort to streamline and reorganize the National Government, specifically the Executive Branch. Presidential Decree No. 1, series of 1972 emphasized the need to "form a continuing pool of well-selected and development-oriented career administrators who shall provide competent and faithful service."

Aside from bureaucratic efficiency, we are also working hard for an open and transparent government. Towards this end, the DBM is pursuing energized citizen participation in governance, as measured by the Open Budget Survey.

In 2021, the Philippines ranked 35 out of a hundred, making us no. 1 in Southeast Asia. We intend to further energize this through our efforts in the DBM and in the Philippine Open Government Partnership.

In particular, the DBM is in the process of establishing a CSO Desk to serve as the focal unit for all concerns related to public participation in the budget process, among others. The DBM CSO Desk will be one of the avenues in providing capacity-building activities for CSOs to enable a more meaningful engagement and we target to have this project by year-end.

We are also in the process of crafting the 6th National Action Plan under the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) initiative. Central to the development of the plan is to amplify collaboration between the non-government sector and government agencies in the design, implementation, and monitoring of government programs.

All these initiatives redound to strengthening the integrity of our systems, diminishing human discretion in government transactions, and strengthening inter-agency coordination.

Finally, as this Administration is also prioritizing sustainability, the DBM is spearheading the implementation of the Green Public Procurement or GPP Roadmap through the Government Procurement Policy Board. This will integrate green choices in public procurement and put the government closer to its ultimate goal of ensuring sustainable management and use of natural resources by 2030.

As career executives, you all play a substantial role in this pursuit of economic transformation towards inclusivity and sustainability. As vanguards of good governance, you are at the forefront of formulating and implementing policies, strategies, and solutions for the people; you are our commanders in the institutionalization of changes in the bureaucracy as we bounce back to the new—and better—normal.

As the title of this event suggests, learning for leadership is life-long so let’s keep this in mind as we continue to serve the people and better ourselves with integrity and commitment to public service.

Never stop learning. Embrace innovations. Keep up with the changes in our organizations. Be reform-oriented persons and public administrators. Listen to our constituents. Welcome feedback and recommendations. Let’s do all these as we continue to recover, rebuild, and bounce back better.

Again, congratulations to the CES Board, CES officers, members, and eligibles, our retiring CES members, and all of our partners and stakeholders.

Assalamu alaikum. Mabuhay po tayong lahat!

Good day to all the members of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Foundation Inc.

First, I would like to congratulate all of you for having so much to celebrate at your 77th Annual National Convention. I am privileged to be given this opportunity to share with almost 4,500 Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) an affirmation of your service, excellence, and indispensable impact on the lives of Filipinos.

I believe that the theme, “Play it Forward: Securing a Sustainable Future,” sums up what you, our dear CPAs, have been doing for the country. By ensuring financial balances, successful registrations and compliance with laws, and payment of taxes, among others, you see to it that our institutions continue to operate and grow. These include our schools, hospitals, government offices, corporations, and small enterprises.

These places are imperative in creating our sense of community. They play a huge role in fulfilling our dreams. They become witnesses of our hard work and dedication to build decent lives. And your presence and diligence in ensuring the integrity and stability of these institutions translate to better living conditions for us.

With your meaningful insights that benefit not just the government and private executives but also the workers, consumers, and the general public, you have contributed to the large-scale growth of the country. Just recently, we welcomed the good news of the country’s high-growth performance of 7.6 percent GDP growth in the third quarter of 2022.

Our economy has been recovering and we thank you for doing your part and helping us get to where we are now. I hope that you will join us as we aim to achieve our goals for the country.

On our end at the Department of Budget and Management, we commit to ensuring the prudent and judicial management of government resources by funding and prioritizing the programs, activities, and projects that will benefit all Filipinos. Through this, we hope to help realize the sustainable future that all of you have been envisioning for the country.

In line with this, we have prioritized in the Fiscal Year 2023 Proposed National Budget the enhancement of our bureaucratic efficiency. We believe that structural reforms in the government are crucial in strengthening the individual efforts that every worker does, including you, our honorable accountants.

We pursued investments in information and communications technology in order to transform and digitalize government processes, records, and databases through e-governance. Php 12.47 billion of the national budget was proposed for our ICT and digitalization programs and projects. The Department of Finance and its attached agencies including the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs will receive Php 3.56 billion for their digital transformation programs.

At the department level, we will fast-track the development and implementation of the Budget and Treasury Management System or BTMS so we can record real-time information on financial transactions across government agencies from purchase to payment. This will be facilitated by the Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized Governance or the PBBM Governance Bill which we will forward to Congress for approval and enactment.

As I reiterated a while ago, schools and hospitals, among other institutions, shape our lives. Your expertise and service have been guarding these institutions. Your analysis, advice, and interpretations help leaders and managers make informed decisions. Your role in our public financial management system contributes to building our nation.

As you continue to grow in your field, adapt to changes, and rise above unforeseen challenges, we hope you can be our partners in our Agenda for Prosperity, our partners in achieving our vision of economic transformation that is inclusive and sustainable, that will benefit not only all Filipinos today but also future generations.

Maraming salamat at mabuhay! Assalam Alaikum.

To Zamboanga City Mayor John Dalipe; Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Budget Officer and President of the Mindanao League of Local Budget Officers (MLLBO) Inc. Rosana Palalon; MLLBO Officers and Board of Directors;

To my colleagues from DBM who are also joining us in today’s event;

To DBM Regional Office IX Director Mark Louie C. Martin and Regional Office X Director Rudylia C. Parrel, and employees from DBM Regional Offices;

To all our local budget officers, public financial managers, and participants from Mindanao LGUs, magandang araw po sa ating lahat. Buenas tardes! I was told that there was a number of Maranaos here, sa mga kababayan ko, [Greetings in Chavacano]

As a proud daughter of this beautiful land, I am honored to deliver this keynote speech before you, my fellow Mindanaoans, especially as the theme of this event is very dear to me.

Since the beginning of my term as Secretary, the institutionalization of budget reforms and digitalization of our public financial management or PFM have always been my top priorities. In the same manner, enhancing bureaucratic efficiency and sound fiscal management is highlighted in our 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda. While these priority areas were also part of the development and governance objectives in the previous years, I am positive that with the enthusiastic leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., together with your ardent support, these priorities will finally come to fruition.

Just this month, we welcomed the good news that our GDP has grown to 7.6 percent for the third quarter of 2022—a triumph worth celebrating as we recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from the increase in mobility and opening of the economy due to the ease of travel restrictions, this positive economic outlook is attributed to good tax performance. We hope to sustain this growth, if not surpass it, and we believe that enhancing our digital governance will play a crucial role in achieving this.

By investing in digital infrastructure, the government can improve its revenue collection, and ultimately promote efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the use of our public funds. We want the people to know how we actually spend their hard-earned money and strengthen their trust in the process.

As a testament to our commitment to ensuring a clean and efficient bureaucracy, we have allocated some Php 12.47 billion in the 2023 Proposed National Budget for the digitalization of government services.

To accelerate the transition to digital governance, we have set aside:

• Php 4.7 billion for the ICT Systems and Infostructure Development, Management, and Advisory Program which covers:
  • Php 1.7 billion for the National Government Data Center Infrastructure;
  • Php 1.5 billion for the National Broadband Plan; and
  • Php 169 million for the National Government Portal;

• Some Php 2.6 billion for Revenue Information Systems Development and Infrastructure Support; and

• Php 1.2 billion for the Philippine Customs Modernization Project

President Marcos Jr. has also called for the swift passage of the consolidated bill on the E-Government and E-Governance Acts, which will serve as the country’s framework in digitalizing the economy and our government services. This legislation will pave the way for an integrated, interconnected, and interoperable information, resource sharing, and communications network within and among government agencies for a more efficient and transparent public service delivery.

On our end at DBM, we will fast-track the implementation of the Budget and Treasury Management System or BTMS together with the Department of Finance, and the Bureau of the Treasury, and the Commission on Audit. This is a crucial digitalization initiative to enable real-time mapping of transactions, allow accurate financial reporting and management, and enhance oversight control. Its key objective is to achieve the future state of PFM where all spending agencies would capture government transactions at source using the BTMS as the sole accounting and fiscal reporting system.

Lastly, we will ensure the smooth roll out of the recently released Implementing Rules and Regulations of Executive Order No. 170 which mandates the adoption of digital payments for government disbursements and collections in the national level as well as in the local government units. This EO also aims to facilitate the fast distribution of financial aid to beneficiaries, ultimately promoting financial inclusion—an advocacy I have been pushing for even when I was still with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

For all these to become a reality and a success, we need your unwavering support and enthusiastic participation in the local government, as good governance is and should be collaborative. I encourage our participants here today to be our frontrunners in promoting good governance and sound public financial management, not only in Mindanao, but also in the country.

Let us work together in implementing budget reforms towards the realization of our mission to ensure the equitable, prudent, transparent, and accountable use of public funds.

Asahan po ninyong kaagapay ninyo ang DBM sa pagkamit ng gobyernong malinis, tapat, at tunay na tumutugon sa pangangailangan ng bawat Pilipino.

Maraming salamat po. Assalamu alaikum!