President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensure that every peso of public funds benefits Filipinos, warning that waste, inefficiency, and corruption in government spending will not be tolerated.
Speaking at the Philippine Development Forum (PDF) 2025 in Mandaluyong City, Marcos described the national budget as both a “moral and economic compass” that must guide all government actions toward improving lives.
“It must always point toward making life better for our people. Every project, every policy, every program, every peso, must move the needle for Filipino farm families,” he said.
“We will not tolerate measurement without action, nor will we tolerate the wastage of public funds. Walang perang sasayangin. Hindi tayo papayag na lustayin ang kaban ng bayan,” he added.
The President emphasized education as the government’s top priority, with the Department of Education receiving the largest allocation in the proposed 2026 national budget. He cited classroom construction, teacher training, and school feeding programs as key to long-term progress.
“Every classroom built, every teacher trained, every child supported, is a seed towards real, lasting progress,” he said.
Marcos also announced reforms to streamline the use of Official Development Assistance (ODA) by cutting bureaucratic delays and revising guidelines to accelerate project implementation.
“We know that funding alone is not enough. Critical bottlenecks and systemic challenges have long hindered us from optimally utilizing the ODA,” he said. “We are taking action to streamline the process, cut bureaucratic delays, accelerate public service.”
The forum, themed “Bringing Together Progress for All: Services that Matter, Results that Last,” gathered development partners and government leaders to discuss the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and the country’s path toward upper middle-income status.
“Declarations by themselves do not create results. They set the direction of what our collective actions will be. Together, let us continue shaping a strong, fair, and future-ready Bagong Pilipinas,” Marcos said.