DBM Regional Directors—Dir. Lenin Bernales of Regional Office VI; Dir. Maria Liane Gayomali of Regional Office VII; and Dir. Imelda Laceras of Regional Office VIII;

Philippine League of Local Budget Officers (PHILLBO) Visayas Inc. President and Municipal Budget Officer of Dauis, Bohol, Mr. Samuel Penales;

PHILLBO Inc. President and Capiz Provincial Budget Officer Mr. G. Antonio Arbis;

Officers and members of PHILLBO Inc.; the Association of Local Budget Officers (ALBO) VI, Inc.; the Association of Local Budget Officers in Central Visayas (ALBOCV) Inc.; and Region VIII Association of Local Budget Officers (REALBO) Inc.;

Resource speakers; local budget officers, public financial managers, guests, and participants;

Thank you for inviting me today and congratulations on the success of the PHILLBO Visayas Area Conference!

The theme of this event, “Local Budget Officers: Transformational Leaders for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Public Financial Management” is aligned with the theme of our Proposed National Budget for 2023—”Agenda for Prosperity: Economic Transformation Towards Inclusivity and Sustainability.”

As the Administration’s first national budget moves closer to approval, we are also moving forward in addressing the immediate issues confronting the Filipino people through the national budget. This is encapsulated under our 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda and anchored on these pillars:

• Strengthening the purchasing power of Filipinos;
• Reducing vulnerability and mitigating scarring from the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Ensuring sound macroeconomic fundamentals; and finally,
• Supporting local governments.

As I’ve mentioned in the 25th Annual Convention Seminar of PHILLBO Inc., our economic transformation agenda will not be truly inclusive without our local governments.

In the same manner, our pursuit of bureaucratic efficiency and sound fiscal management would be impossible without our local budget officers and public financial managers who all play a crucial role in ushering LGUs toward a more open, sound, and strong PFM.

So thank you, PHILLBO Visayas, for collaborating with the Department of Budget and Management and remaining steadfast in your commitment to capacitate and equip our local budget officers not only with technical knowledge on local budgeting processes, but also with regional vision sharing, collaboration techniques, growth mindset, and of course, transformational leadership competencies.

Rest assured that the DBM is always ready to assist you, especially as we move towards full devolution which will be discussed in this conference by Dir. John Aries Macaspac from our Systems and Productivity Improvement Bureau.

To facilitate this transition, our proposed budget next year provides allocations to empower LGUs in delivering the services that have been devolved to them including the Php 28.9 billion Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), on top of the Php 820.3 billion indicative just share of the LGUs from the 2023 national tax collections.

In addition to full devolution, the government has introduced a range of budget process reforms aimed at strengthening public financial management and as part of our commitment to instill fiscal discipline or spending within our means; allocative efficiency or spending on the right priorities; operational efficiency or spending with value-for-money; and spending with transparency and participation.

And our gathering today reflects these commitments and entails empowering citizens, communities, LGUs, and other stakeholders through greater transparency, accountability, and participation in the PFM process.

Among our priority budget reforms are the:

• Cash Budgeting System (CBS) which aims to promote fiscal discipline and improved operational planning and execution of government programs, activities, and projects (PAPs); and the
• Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS) which will facilitate the generation of vital information and real-time tracking of government financial transactions.

Meanwhile, another reform that I would like to highlight is aimed at inculcating transparency and public participation—the Philippine Open Government Partnership or PH OGP. This provides an avenue for genuine citizen participation in government processes and a platform for collaboration between champions and movers in government alongside active non-government actors.

For the past 10 years, we have worked hard towards energizing civic space, opening up public institutions, and strengthening digital governance.

As Chair of the PH-OGP Steering Committee, the DBM is committed to continuing the work towards an Open Government in the next decade and beyond.

Given these, I would like to emphasize the importance of institutionalizing PFM in meeting our socioeconomic development objectives under our MTFF or Medium-Term Fiscal Framework which aims to achieve:

• —we are on track given the 7.6 % real GDP growth in the third quarter of this year

• 9% or single digit poverty rate by 2028

• 3% National Government deficit to GDP ratio by 2028; and

• less than 60% National Government debt-to-GDP ratio by

These headline goals may sound like a very tall order, but if we all work together guided by our mandate to ensure the equitable, prudent, transparent, and accountable allocation and use of public funds, we can move closer and closer to achieving our Agenda for Prosperity that will be felt by every individual, family, and entity in the country.

Thankfully, we have our public financial managers including our local budget officers who are not just transactional practitioners. You are all transformational leaders that embody the PFM core values of accountability, transparency, integrity, and fiscal responsibility. As such, you are our trusted agents in the realization of our vision of economic transformation that is inclusive to all Filipinos and is sustainable for future generations.

Thank you again and congratulations!

Assalamu Alaikum.

Magandang hapon po sa lahat ng nakikilahok sa ating regional Dagyaw dito sa National Capital Region. To Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin of the Department of Interior and Local Government, our esteemed resource speakers, representatives from local government units, and participants from civil society organizations, thank you for the privilege to share with you my message today on social accountability.

These two words are reflected in the theme of this town hall meeting, "Likas-Kaya: Kalinga, Kaligtasan at Katatagan sa Pandemya" or “Fostering Multi-Sectoral Convergence through Social Accountability.”

Allow me to quote the great Martin Luther King, Jr. He said: “an individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

This, I think, is what social accountability is all about. It says, “I have personal predicaments, but it should not make me lose sight of the people around me.”

And social accountability is not only about what one says but also about what one does. We don’t stop at awareness and recognition. We step in and do something. We participate in donation drives following the onslaught of typhoons and disasters; we join health and volunteer missions amid the pandemic; and we gather and discuss ways forward like what we are doing today, here in Dagyaw.

It is only when we embody social accountability that care, safety, and resilience become realized. And it is only through Dagyaw—or togetherness—that we can achieve these. When we recognize how interconnected our lives are with other people’s lives, it becomes easier for us to empathize, care, and do better.

As part of the government, it is our job to create the environment that would help people rise above their personal concerns.

We want to foster social accountability by providing proper support for our citizens, especially to the most vulnerable sectors.

On our end at the Department of Budget and Management, we have worked hard to make sure that the 2023 Proposed National Budget prioritizes the immediate needs and pressing concerns of Filipinos including transportation, education, health, and disaster readiness—the core theme of this year’s Dagyaw.

Thus, we have allocated the Department of Transportation (DOTr) with Php 167.12 billion for the establishment of an efficient and reliable mass public transportation system.

Meanwhile, the Education sector still gets the highest allocation of Php 852.8 billion and covers the Department of Education (DepEd), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

To strengthen the healthcare system—which is crucial as we strengthen our human capital—the Department of Health (DOH) will be allocated a total of Php 23.0 billion for its Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) to provide access to healthcare services through the construction, rehabilitation, and upgrading of health facilities and the purchase of medical equipment, among its other programs. This is included in their total budget of Php 296.3 billion.

Lastly, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, formerly known as the Calamity Fund, has a total allocation of Php 31.0 billion to ensure that in times of calamities, help is available for our people.

We hope that the national budget will be used to implement programs that will result in an inclusive economy and achieve sustainable growth that will benefit all Filipinos.

Before I end, I would like to emphasize that the only way forward is collective action. These days, some are inclined to focus on themselves alone, but history and contemporary times have shown us, again and again, that the key reforms and developments of humanity were accomplished through collaboration. Thankfully, we have Dagyaw which serves as a platform for collaboration between the government and civil society so we can join forces in tackling and addressing cross-cutting issues and challenges.

Together, let us be innovative, culturally sensitive, and mindful problem-solvers that will serve not just our regions but the whole nation—amid the pandemic, through our recovery, and beyond.

Assalamu alaikum. Thank you and God bless us all!

Chairperson of the National Council for Children’s Television, Dr. Luis P. Gatmaitan, the members of the Advisory Committee, the Secretariat led by Executive Director Desideria Atienza, ladies and gentlemen, good day to all.

Let me begin with the words of a Filipino author with the pen name Bob Ong–“Nakayanan n'yang bumangon, hindi ko pagdududahan ang kakayahan n'yang lumipad.”

I think this is a timely quote considering the challenges that young Filipinos experienced during the pandemic. The unprecedented shift to online learning resulted in a lack of play and diminished socialization, all amidst a continuing global health crisis. Despite these, we see our youth’s capacity to adapt and push through.

With the opening of face-to-face classes, we see revitalized schools, streets, and homes. And we, as adults, are given a new chance to recalibrate how we will reinforce learning, discipline, and growth among our youth.

This is why I want to impart a message of faith today. Our children, again and again, show strength and perseverance. Some of them go to schools without baon. Many grow up in impoverished or broken families. Only a few have all that they need, but even those well-provided children encounter challenges such as an absent parent. Still, they show up.

We have a lot of reasons to believe that they can and will succeed. Kami, sa Kagawaran ng Budget at Pamamahala, ay naniniwala sa kakayanang lumipad ng bawat batang Pilipino. And we are intent to contribute to making this a reality. We will invest in our youth and ensure that they are included in our agenda for prosperity.

As such, we have allocated Php710.7 billion for the Department of Education in the 2023 Proposed National Budget. This will cover the implementation of programs and operations of its various offices, including the NCCT. Through this, we hope to improve the delivery of quality education and make schools accessible to every child.

We all know that we have a huge role to play in the success of our children. And we have a very powerful platform at our disposal—the television. Broadcast communication, in general, allows us to reach millions of homes whose ways of life could be influenced by the content that we air.

Thankfully, we have the NCCT to formulate plans and policies that will ensure that our broadcast platforms have child-friendly programming.

Through your work for the past 25 years, you have managed to onboard producers, broadcast companies, and teachers to join your pursuit. Your success in fostering a child-friendly media environment has helped parents and schools inculcate Filipino values among our children: maka-Diyos, maka-kalikasan, maka-tao, at maka-bansa.

With our youth’s understanding of these core values, we can hope for the next generations that will not only perpetuate our culture, but also develop a new set of practices, beliefs, and traditions that will bring about positive change for the Philippines.

Let us all be united in achieving holistic development for our children. Let us take responsibility for helping them become conscious, emphatic, and patriotic human beings. Let’s do it with love and compassion for every child. After all, they are the hope of our future.

From Dr. Jose Rizal to contemporary writers, we can find inspiration to have faith. Have faith in our ability to empower our children. Have faith in collective action. Have faith in the next generation.

Congratulations, NCCT. Continue your service to the people with excellence and fulfillment.

Assalamu Alaikum. Mabuhay po tayong lahat!

Members of the Government Procurement Policy Board, colleagues from the Department of Budget and Management, Presidents and representatives of our partner State Universities and Colleges, GPPB-TSO Executive Director Rowena Candice Ruiz, Procurement Service Executive Director Dennis Santiago; other officials of the GPPB-TSO, our development partners, and all of you here present today: good morning, and welcome to the fourth Annual Procurement Summit!

Before we begin, thank you for attending this event and for your sustained support and efforts for a better procurement regime.

If you can recall, the Procurement Summit started in 2017 and was conducted yearly until 2019. But unfortunately, because of the pandemic, its conduct was deferred in 2020 and 2021. So this 2022 Summit is a milestone in the Philippine government procurement system as we reinstate its conduct.

As a background, the DBM supports the Marcos Jr. Administration’s goal of ensuring sustainable management and use of natural resources by 2030. As such, the Government Procurement Policy Board will spearhead the implementation of the Green Public Procurement or the GPP Roadmap.

The GPP Roadmap aims to 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.

A GPP Manual is currently being crafted to guide procurement practitioners in embedding green specifications. We have several Common-use Supplies and Equipment or CSE items with green specifications. Further, there has also been an increase in government agencies adopting green specifications in non-CSE items, from 26% in 2018 to 58% in 2020.

This aims to radically transform the Philippine market in public procurement and with the long-term perspective of achieving a sustainable public procurement initiative.

This is the inspiration of this year’s Procurement Summit: “Building Strong Supplier Relationships towards Innovative and Sustainable Public Procurement.” The Summit theme intends to highlight the partnership and trust between and among procurement stakeholders from the government and the private sector. In particular, we hope to encourage new business models that offer innovative and resource-efficient solutions that promote purchase of green market products and services.

According to Philippine Government Procurement System or PhilGEPS data,^[1] as we transitioned to an agile procurement regime because of COVID-19 in 2021, the Philippine government procurement continued to be robust despite the pandemic. This is because we adjusted our policies to fit the changing landscape and address the emerging needs.

Today, while we ease into the post-pandemic world, it remains essential to continue to educate our procurement practitioners and stakeholders on various innovations and initiatives in public procurement due to our commitment to efficiency and sustainability given the large volume of procurement programs and projects.

Hence, this Summit hopes to stress the importance of exploring innovative and sustainable products and services as the government upscales its business processes with an emphasis on protecting the environment.

As such, this Summit features technical sessions on innovative and sustainable public procurement and above all, an exhibit that showcases various products and services offered by various suppliers and knowledge sharing sessions—with a hope to instill green practices not just in our procurement systems, but also business operations and even in our daily lives.

In addition, the DBM also supports the Administration’s thrust for a lean, efficient, and responsive government workforce.

In fact, the FY 2023 Proposed National Budget will facilitate the transformation and digitalization of the government to streamline the bureaucracy. We will pursue investments in information and communications technology to transform and digitalize government processes, records, and databases through e-governance.

Digitalization and sustainability are great priorities of this Administration so I hope that in line with these objectives, everyone can take valuable lessons from the Summit.

I also invite everyone to visit the Market Opportunities Exhibits which we will formally open later after the plenary discussions. Several suppliers were invited to showcase their products to help procuring entities prepare for our future procurement projects, especially in crafting specifications based on the innovative and sustainable products and services that are available in the market.

And so, I urge everyone to pass on your learnings from this Summit and be champions of innovative and green public procurement. By working together with our partners from the private sector, we can take the Philippine government procurement regime to the next level. Let today be a stone cast in the water that creates many ripples of innovation and sustainability.

My thanks to everyone here today.

[1]as of 31 December, 2021, we have 62% or 1.440 trillion of all bid opportunities covering infrastructure projects, while 37% or PhP860 billion covers goods and services, and 1% or PhP25 billion projects on consulting services. Amounting to a total of 2.326 trillion government bid opportunities were opened to eligible suppliers, contractors and consultants.