By Brian Campued
Amid his call for mass resignation from his Cabinet members, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed agency heads to make sure that government projects are accomplished on time and within the allotted budget.
During the presentation of newly enacted laws—Republic Acts 12145 and 12180—at a ceremony in Malacañang on Thursday, Marcos said the government is “in flux” as Cabinet members submit their courtesy resignations in support for the President’s bid to boldly reset the administration by rooting out corrupt and underperforming officials.
Marcos said, reiterating his commitment to preventing the misuse and waste of public funds, “Hamon ko sa Gabinete at mga pinuno ng ahensya, siguruhing matatapos ang mga proyekto nang ayon sa schedule at sa budget.”
“Hindi na tayo papayag na may masyadong cost-overrun, mayroong mga time extension wala namang makatwirang dahilan; and no to non-performing projects.”
Also, the Chief Executive stressed that the government will be stricter in approving new official development assistance (ODA) loans to avoid the delay of ODA-funded development projects and programs.
“Nasabi ko na rin noon na dapat lahat ng ODA loan, lalo na ang mga lubos na na-delay ay masusing pinag-aaralan. Mas magiging istrikto na rin ang approval ng ODA loan simula na ngayon,” Marcos said.
“Kasabay nito, nangangako tayo na magiging mas mahusay at tapat ang pamahalaan sa paggugol ng pondo ng bayan. Sa ganitong paraan, mas tataas ang kalidad ng ating buhay.”
Meanwhile, in a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro assured the public that Marcos will keep an eye on the national budget for 2026 to make sure the allocations align with the priorities of the administration.
“The budget should [be based] on the priorities of the government and it should prioritize the shovel-ready projects of the government.”
—jpv
