President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday launched the next phase of the administration’s fiscal reform agenda by endorsing the updated Philippines’ Public Financial Management (PFM) Reforms Roadmap 2024–2028 and unveiling the Department of Budget and Management Centralized Open Monitoring Platform for Appropriations and Spending Statistics (DBM COMPASS)—a landmark digital transparency platform that allows Filipinos to monitor how government funds are allocated and spent.

 

The twin initiatives mark one of the administration’s most significant governance reforms, combining strengthened fiscal management with unprecedented public access to national budget information to reinforce transparency, accountability, and public trust.

 

“On this occasion, we reaffirm a simple but defining belief of this administration: Public funds belong to the people and must always be spent for their benefit. The PFM Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028 Midterm Update gives us the framework to put this belief into action by strengthening the systems that ensure that every peso is carefully spent and accounted for,” President Marcos said during ceremonies at Malacañang Palace on Friday, June 26.

 

Prepared by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) under the leadership of Acting Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon, the updated roadmap lays down the government’s priority reforms to modernize the planning, management, monitoring, and use of public funds over the next three years.

 

“Public financial management is about ensuring that every peso entrusted by the Filipino people is used wisely, responsibly, and for its intended purpose. It is about making sure that public funds translate into better schools, better healthcare, better infrastructure, and better opportunities for every Filipino,” Acting Secretary De Leon stated.

 

The updated roadmap is the product of extensive nationwide consultations involving more than 1,000 public financial management practitioners and a comprehensive assessment of the country’s fiscal systems.

 

It builds on the findings of the 2025 Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment, together with supplementary assessments on climate-responsive, gender-responsive, child-responsive, and disaster-resilient public financial management. Supported by development partners, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), these assessments identified priority reforms to further strengthen the country’s public financial management systems and support national development goals.

 

The roadmap prioritizes reforms in planning and budgeting, cash management, public asset management, accounting and auditing, public procurement, digital public financial management, disaster risk management, local government financial management, capacity development, policy and legal reforms, and monitoring and evaluation.

 

The roadmap was formally endorsed to the President by the Public Financial Management Committee principals led by DBM Acting Secretary De Leon, together with Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda, and Commission on Audit Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba.

 

The Asian Development Bank, the government’s lead development partner for the PFM Roadmap, likewise reaffirmed its commitment to the country’s reform agenda.

 

“Today’s endorsement is a shared commitment to real and lasting results. This roadmap is a whole-of-government response to the voices of the people, and we are proud to stand with you to deliver upon its promise,” ADB President Masato Kanda conveyed.

 

 

President Marcos also launched the DBM COMPASS, a first-of-its-kind digital platform that consolidates budget and spending information into a single searchable portal, allowing citizens to track government expenditures by department, agency, funding purpose, and fiscal year.

 

For the first time, information covering the National Expenditure Program, the General Appropriations Act, allotments, obligations, and disbursements is brought together in one user-friendly platform—giving the public a clearer and more accessible picture of how taxpayer money moves through government.

 

“Reform is not a destination. It is not the end of our efforts but a continuing process. As circumstances evolve, as new challenges emerge, our systems must also become more adaptive. Today we take another step into that direction with the launch of the DBM COMPASS,” President Marcos explained.

 

“Saan napupunta ang pondo ng bayan? Today, we take another important step toward providing that answer. By making budget information more accessible, understandable, and easier to track, we empower citizens to become active partners in governance,” Acting Secretary De Leon noted.

 

The platform is expected to strengthen citizen participation, improve public oversight, and reinforce accountability in the use of taxpayer funds.

 

“Transparency is among the strongest safeguards against corruption. When information is open, accountability becomes stronger. When government actions can be seen and scrutinized, public resources are better protected, and public trust is reinforced,” the Budget Chief added.

 

President Marcos emphasized that the platform represents another step toward a more transparent and accountable government.

 

“Like a compass that points forward, the platform allows our people to see and track where their hard-earned money goes by making budget and financial information more accessible, understandable, and actionable. We invite citizens to become active partners in governance,” the President highlighted.

 

The ceremonial endorsement follows the official launch of the updated PFM Roadmap during the Philippine Public Financial Management Forum held on June 25 at the Asian Development Bank Headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

 

“Let us carry this work with resolve, integrity, and a shared sense of purpose. By 2028, we must be able to say that government has become more open, more disciplined, more responsive, and more trusted by the Filipino people,” the President ended.

 

The DBM COMPASS may be accessed through this link: https://compass.dbm.gov.ph/