PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is keeping his economic team following his call for all his Cabinet members to file their courtesy resignation in a bid to “realign government with the people’s expectations.”
In a press conference, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin named the Cabinet members who will remain in their posts, including himself.
Those who will be retained are Trade Secretary Cristina Roque; Finance Secretary Ralph Recto; Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan; Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman; and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go.
Bersamin said Marcos’ marching orders to his economic team is to enhance the country’s economic situation both locally and internationally.
He said the President expressed his full trust and confidence especially to Balisacan.
Bersamin said Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will be replacing the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, who will be retiring on July 31, 2025.
Taking Manalo’s post is DFA Undersecretary Tess Lazaro.
Department of Energy (DOE) Raphael Lotilla will take the place of Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.
DOE undersecretary, former congresswoman Sharon Garin, will temporarily serve as the officer-in-charge of the agency.
Bersamin said Loyzaga will take a rest for a while but she might still be given a government position by Marcos in the future.
“Kay Secretary Loyzaga, walang issue ng corruption diyan. Maybe there is just a perception. I don't know how fair or unfair that perception is na mas malimit siya sa labas ng bansa. Yun ang recurring na pinapadating sa amin ngunit wag na natin siyang husgahan. Whether inefficiency yan or hindi, that is not up for us to do but the evaluation shows that it is time to have her rest muna,” he said.
(With Secretary Loyzaga, there's no issue of corruption there. Maybe there's just a perception. I don't know how fair or unfair that perception is — that she's frequently out of the country. That's the recurring feedback we receive, but let’s not judge her. Whether that amounts to inefficiency or not, that’s not for us to decide, but the evaluation shows that it is time for her to take a break for now.)
“Underperform siguro ang tawag dyan, kasi kung may expectation ang President and you do not perform, ang messaging is underperformance is not going to be allowed,” he added.
(Maybe the term for that is underperformance, because if the President has expectations and you do not deliver, the message is that underperformance will not be tolerated.)
Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) Jose Rizalino Acuzar was named as the Presidential Adviser for Pasig River Development.
Replacing him as the secretary of DHSUD is Undersecretary Ramon Aliling, who according to Bersamin is “well-known for managing big construction projects.”
“Acuzar, hindi mo masabing corruption yan, wala, hindi mo rin masabing underperformance. Underdelivery, napakataas ‘yung nilagay niyang standard niya when he accepted the job but you know, he was very efficient in the private sector and the President expected na makapag-deliver siya kaya I don’t know if he set the standard too high for himself dahil one million housing units per year,” said Bersamin.
(With Acuzar, you can't really say it's corruption; it's not. You also can't say it's underperformance. It's more of underdelivery. He set a very high standard for himself when he accepted the job. But you know, he was very efficient in the private sector, and the President expected him to deliver. So I don't know if he set the bar too high for himself with that target of one million housing units per year.)
“There may have been obstacles in his way which were beyond his control and beyond the control of the government,” he added.
So far, Bersamin said 52 Cabinet members submitted their courtesy resignation following Marcos’ call.
He said the performance evaluation of the other Cabinet members is still ongoing. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)