Economic managers vowed to ramp up their efforts and reaffirm their commitment to improved performance, even prompting President Marcos’ chief economic manager to also recalibrate the Department of Finance (DOF).

This came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decided to retain them, along with three others, as part of the Philippines' economic management team.

“More than a vote of confidence, I take this as a marching order to push harder and deliver results faster, and thus we will also do our own recalibration within the department,” Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said in a statement released on Friday, May 23, while expressing gratitude to the President for his “continued trust.”

“As President Bongbong Marcos stated, we will not stop at the DOF to ensure that every Filipino family feels progress,” Recto said.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said during a May 23 press briefing that since Recto’s first day of service, “he’s a man of action.”

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said that as economic managers review the Medium-Term Fiscal Program and the DBM begins budget deliberations, the agency renews its “commitment to achieving a Bagong Pilipinas through an economic transformation that is inclusive and sustainable, fulfilling the needs and aspirations of the Filipino people, including the next generations.

This came after her recognition of the President’s “unexpected” show of confidence to the Budget Chief.

“This has only reaffirmed my own commitment to public service and reignited my determination to work even harder for our nation and our people. And certainly the entire economic team is one reinforcing our shared vision for an even more prosperous economy,” Pangandaman said

Bersamin stressed that no one can be better than Pangandaman when it comes to handling the national budget.

“She can deny your request with grace and that is very important because no one will ever get mad at her. She is considered as the model for budget and fiscal management. You can’t complain about that,” Bersamin added.

For his part, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Arsenio M. Balisacan also thanked and assured the President of the agency and the economic team’s continued efforts “to steer the economy to a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient future.”