NEWLY-APPOINTED Budget Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon pledged to hasten government spending and safeguard public funds so as not to repeat controversies from the past and accelerate economic growth.
‘We will not allow the budget to be abused again for another flood control scandal. Klaro ang direktiba ng Presidente, bawat piso, mapupunta sa tao,’ De Leon said in his first official address before officials and employees of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old Budget chief said that in a VUCAD (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and disruptive) world, the budget process must be ‘agile and adaptable.’
‘I come back to these halls today with a challenging task that I share with each and every one of you-to make use of the budget as a tool for national development, for citizen empowerment,’ De Leon said.
‘We know that the growth of the economy slowed down, owing to significantly lower government spending,’ De Leon said. ‘On the other hand, prices are increasing due to lingering effects of the Middle East oil crisis and geopolitical tensions.’
Citing the signage phrase ‘Government Project, Do Not Delay,’ De Leon said slowness has no place in the DBM.
‘From procurement, right of way, and other implementation challenges, we do not want the budget to be the other reason that delays critical programs and projects, especially when funds have been legally appropriated for the purpose,’ he added.
De Leon called on DBM employees to be proactive and anticipatory to make the budget a ‘true reflection’ of each Filipino’s aspirations and dreams.
‘Let us remove unnecessary red tape. Push for digitization and digitalization so that programs and services will be funded when and where Filipinos need them the most,’ the youngest Budget secretary said.
Moreover, De Leon said there are still opportunities to improve in the agency, such as pursuing the legislation of the Philippine Budgeting Code or through internal DBM processes.
‘The challenges are immense, and so, our energy and dynamism as an institution must meet these challenges head on,’ he said. ‘I will be with you in this journey of lifelong learning and personal and organizational improvements.’
‘As we enter the last two years of this administration, let us not waste every opportunity to do our best, be facilitators of progress, champions of accountability, and enablers of development,’ he added.
The DBM chief said his office will always be open for discourse. ‘If you have something, you want to propose something that will be for the benefit of the Filipino people and the budget process, I am all eyes and ears.’
De Leon became DBM undersecretary handling the Organization and Systems Improvement Group and the Information and Communications Technology Group from 2021 to 2022.
He also held key government positions, including undersecretary for Administration and Finance of the Department of Transportation and Secretary General of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. He also obtained his Career Executive Service Eligibility in 2024.