Budget reform will remain the top priority of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), newly designated Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.
During the turn-over ceremony of the DBM baton of leadership from Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Tina Rose Marie Canda at the department headquarters in Manila on Wednesday, July 6, Pangandaman said “budget reform is still my top priority."
“Part of this reform is the evaluation and streamlining of the Procurement Service. This is to ensure proper oversight and stricter controls to safeguard the integrity of the procurement process,” Pangandaman said.
The new DBM secretary highlighted that under her leadership, the department will continue to strengthen the digitalization of the country’s public financial management.
“We’ve made headway with our Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS), but there is so much more we can do to further strengthen our integrated financial management information system (IFMIS),” she emphasized.
Pangandaman stated that the DBM will roll out and institutionalize these systems throughout the bureaucracy for efficiency and transparency and to prevent corrupt practices.
On the economy, Pangandaman stressed, “We will maximize the limited space and prioritize President Bongbong Marcos’ food sufficiency, infrastructure, and climate change goals.”
The new DBM chief also assured that the agency will ensure that the government’s projects, activities, and programs reach every Filipino.
During the turn-over ceremony, Pangandaman was warmly welcomed by DBM Senior Officials and staff led by Canda.
“Sec Mina’s coming is an answered prayer. She’s not a stranger to us. She used to be a member of our family, and now she came back to be the head of our family,” Canda said.
Pangandaman is no stranger to the DBM. She started as Assistant Secretary in 2016 and was promoted to Undersecretary in 2018.
She likewise served as the Functional Group Head of the Office of the Secretary, where she supervised the Department Liaison Office concurrent to her position as Director of the Budget Technical Bureau.