To the Public Financial Management (PFM) Committee, representatives from our resource institutions, esteemed colleagues from the national government, and, of course, to our very supportive development partners, a pleasant day to everyone.
Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
First, my apologies for not being able to join you in person today as I am currently in Milan, Italy for the 58th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors.
Nonetheless, allow me to extend my sincerest gratitude to the ADB for hosting this Workshop Series for the Mobilization and Implementation of the Philippine PFM Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028. This milestone signifies that we are ready to shift gears and translate the strategies outlined in our roadmap into concrete actions that will bring our goals to fruition.
Conducting this workshop just eight months after we officially endorsed the PFM Reforms Roadmap to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is proof that when committed PFM advocates are guided by a clear vision, we don’t wait for the perfect moment. We create the momentum and move forward with determination.
With the participation of our Technical Working Groups, Committees, and even the newly created Task Teams, I am confident that we are all set to implement our PFM reforms, particularly the critical interventions we have committed across the eleven (11) strategic focus areas.
In fact, even at this early stage, our efforts to modernize our PFM policies and processes have already produced significant results. For one, the enactment of Republic Act No. 12009 or the New Government Procurement Act in July 2024 advances our goal of enhancing transparency and efficiency in our public procurement, as outlined in our PFM Reform Agenda.
Meanwhile, under the Digital PFM strategic focus area, I am proud to share that we have successfully launched the Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS), which serves as the interoperable core of the government’s Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). This ensures the transparency, accuracy, and timeliness of budget and financial accountability reports, enabling us to make evidence-based governance decisions.
Towards improving the monitoring and evaluation of our public expenditures, we recently conducted the Forum on the Enhanced Agency Performance Reviews (EAPR) to hold all our government agencies accountable and evaluate whether our public funds have truly contributed to our national development goals.
Further, we signed two Joint Memorandum Circulars with the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev): one on Program Convergence Budgeting and another on the Revised National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF). These policy initiatives aim to strengthen the linkages among all stages of expenditure management—from planning to programming to accountability.
Indeed, we have made significant progress in our shared journey of transforming and harmonizing our PFM systems. However, we must acknowledge that there is still so much more to be done, especially now that we have completed the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability and the Disaster Resilient and Responsive PFM, or the PEFA++ and the DRR-PFM Assessments—thanks to the unwavering support of our development partners and dedicated government assessment team.
The PEFA++ and DRR-PFM offer an objective assessment of our current PFM system, focusing on its responsiveness to gender, child welfare, climate change, and disaster resilience. The results, offering us nearly a 360-degree view of our PFM landscape, will be instrumental in shaping our priorities in the years ahead.
The good news is that this four-day workshop provides us with an opportunity to learn more about the recommendations from the PEFA Assessments even before the publication of the results in June. I encourage you to reflect on these insights to identify policy gaps, design action steps, develop implementation plans, and, most importantly, leverage the power of collaboration.
Sama-sama po nating itaas ang Bagong Pilipinas! Remember, the stronger the alignment of our initiatives, the more meaningful and lasting the outcomes will be for our people.
So, let this workshop be another jump-off point for us toward concrete and coordinated action to implement the PFM Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028. Together, let us ensure that this strategic document leads to improved public service delivery—one that addresses the needs and fulfills the aspirations of Filipinos.
Maraming salamat po at mabuhay tayong lahat!
Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
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