To the Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB) Steering Committee Chairperson, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan;
European Union in the Philippines, Head of Cooperation, Dr. Marco Gemmer;
UNICEF Representative to the Philippines, Ms. Kyungsun Kim;
My fellow public servants from the Government, distinguished technical consultants, and esteemed development partners: Good afternoon!
It is my honor to welcome you to this workshop on implementing the PCB approach. We are grateful that all lead agencies of our country’s PCB programs are well-represented today, demonstrating our whole-of-government commitment to improving public service delivery through PCB.
As you may already know, the PCB approach is not a new reform. In fact, since its launch in 2012, we have successfully implemented several PCB projects and even digitalized the proposal submission process in 2023. And in March 2025, we reviewed, strengthened, and institutionalized the PCB to attain greater budget efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
The promise of PCB is that it opens up endless possibilities for every Filipino. It ensures that the needs of our people are addressed through coordinated and harmonized initiatives among implementing agencies, thereby maximizing efficiency and avoiding duplication of effort. Ultimately, this means that our citizens can access high-quality public services faster and with better outcomes.
The FY 2026 National Budget consists of 15 PCB programs that directly support the priorities of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. All these programs address broad, cross-sectoral, and strategic development objectives, such as zero hunger, nutrition, agricultural development, export development, risk resilience, and livelihoods and employment, among others.
In the coming years, we expect to see more PCB programs as a result of stronger whole-of-government collaboration and the PCB Steering Committee's steadfast dedication to further improving the planning-programming-budgeting continuum.
This workshop is a vital step towards achieving our goal, as it will equip us with the shared understanding and practical tools needed to translate our collective commitments into concrete, coordinated action.
So over the next two days, the PCB Steering Committee will focus on three key priorities that are critical to the successful application of the Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB) approach.
First, we will focus on capacitating the lead agencies of both existing and prospective PCB programs. Our aim is to ensure that the PCB approach is fully understood and effectively mobilized in the preparation of the proposed FY 2027 National Budget.
Second, we will generate and carefully examine evidence on how PCB has been applied in previous years. By examining the challenges encountered, the lessons learned, and the best practices that have emerged, we can better address policy gaps and implementation bottlenecks that continue to hinder meaningful convergence.
Finally, we will set a clear strategic direction for using the PCB approach to advance the National Government’s overall plan and priorities. This includes aligning our strategies, clarifying roles, and strengthening planning and coordination across agencies to ensure that proposed PCBs are coherent, well-justified, and truly responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Filipino people.
As Co-Chair of the PCB Steering Committee, the Department of Budget and Management reaffirms its commitment to upholding the PCB approach and ensuring that it truly delivers its promise to our people. I am confident that this workshop will be both productive and meaningful with your active participation and valuable contributions.
Today, we come together to collaborate and align our efforts—so that in the future, we may collectively celebrate our milestones toward a brighter, better, Bagong Pilipinas.
With that, let’s get the ball rolling! Maraming salamat po.
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