To the PAGBA Board, officers, and members, led by President Zenaida Bolor-Chang, Vice President and former DBM Undersecretary Luz Cantor; my fellow public servants, my DBM family, and all our participants—maayong adlaw sa inyong tanan.
Thank you for the warm welcome, Bacolod. Truly, you are the City of Smiles—and today, I see not just smiles, but pride, commitment, and quiet strength in this room. And that is what makes this gathering truly meaningful.
Because today is not just about a convention. It is about you—the men and women of public financial management. Palakpakan ninyo ang sarili n’yo!
The ones who ensure that government works. The ones who turn plans into programs, and programs into real services. The ones who make sure that every peso entrusted by the Filipino people is accounted for, protected, and put to good use.
And more often than not, you do your work quietly—without recognition, without headlines—but with integrity and dedication that never wavers.
And I say this with deep sincerity.
Because I started where many of you are now—as an Accounts Analyst.
I know where you stand right now because I’ve been there. Alam ko po ang inyong trabaho, alam ko po kung ano ‘yung mga pinaghihirapan n’yo sa pag-prepare ng budget sa inyong mga departamento.
I know the long hours. I know the pressure to get things right. I know the responsibility that comes with every signature, every certification, every release.
And I know this truth: When you do your job well, lives improve—even if people never see your name behind it.
That is the power of public financial management.
That is why this year’s theme—“Navigating Uncertainty: Building Resilience and Strengthening Reform Initiatives in Public Financial Management”—is not just timely. It reflects a commitment that runs deeply in our institutional DNA as public servant.
Because today, uncertainty is no longer an exception—it is our operating environment.
We have lived through a global pandemic that stretched our systems to their limits. We continue to face global tensions that affect prices, supply chains, and fiscal space.
And in moments like these, government is tested.
But when government is tested, it is you who stand at the frontlines of stability.
Because strong systems drive timely action. Iyon ang kailangan natin. Clear processes deliver resources where they matter most, and resilient institution uphold public trust.
And at the heart of all these—you, my fellow public financial management servants. Palakpakan po ninyo ang mga sarili n’yo, kayo po ‘yun.
As President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said during the signing of the 2026 National Budget: “We are committing to implement a budget that serves the people.”
That commitment comes to life through you—because a budget serves the people only when those entrusted with it make it work.
Because you ensure that what is planned is actually delivered. Because you guard every peso as if it were your own. Because you choose integrity—even when no one is watching.
At the Department of Budget and Management, this is exactly the direction we are strengthening.
In my first months in office, we focused on one principle: Real reform is not about announcements—it is about systems that last.
And those systems depend on people.
That is why we continue to invest in you—through the Public Financial Management Competency Program, ensuring that our practitioners are not only skilled, but future-ready.
We are accelerating the PFM Reforms Roadmap 2024–2028, so that our systems become more integrated, more responsive, and more resilient.
We are strengthening program convergence, because when government works as one, outcomes improve faster.
We are empowering our local governments, because real development must be felt in every community—not just at the center.
And we continue to push for digitalization, transparency, and accountability, so that every transaction is efficient, every process is traceable, and every peso is protected.
We are also advancing reforms under the New Government Procurement Act, ensuring that public spending is faster, fairer, and delivers true value for money.
All these reforms are being anchored under the Philippine Budgeting Code (PBC) which is the cornerstone of modern public financial management in the country. As an update, we already filed this bill in the Congress and the Senate.
It institutionalizes a disciplined, transparent, and results-oriented budgeting system by strengthening the linkage between budgeting and performance, promoting medium-term fiscal sustainability and embedding digitalization, accountability, and citizen participation across the budget cycle to ensure that public resources are managed prudently in the best interests of the Filipino people.
Because in the end, this is what matters: If we fail to protect public funds, it is the Filipino people who suffer. And we cannot allow that.
That is why, in DBM, we make this commitment: We will protect the people’s money—down to the last centavo.
But beyond systems and reforms, let us remember that public financial management is not just about budgets, reports, or compliance. It is about trust.
Trust that a child will have a classroom. Trust that a patient will have access to healthcare. Trust that a farmer will have roads to bring goods to market. Trust that government will deliver.
And every day, through your work—you honor that trust.
As we move forward, guided by the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and the Administration’s 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda, we are reminded that plans give us direction—but it is execution that delivers results. And execution rests on all of us.
So over the next few days, I encourage you: Learn from one another. Share your experiences. Strengthen your networks.
Allow me to end with this: You may not always be seen. You may not always be recognized. But make no mistake—your work matters.
Every report you finalize, every budget you manage, every process you improve—builds a stronger Philippines.
Maraming salamat sa inyong serbisyo. Maraming salamat sa inyong pagmamahal sa bayan.
Mabuhay ang PAGBA, mabuhay po kayong lahat, at mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas.
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