Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

I am pleased and excited to share that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) was conferred multiple awards during the recognition of the 2024 Top Performing Agencies in the Gender and Development (GAD) Budget by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) last Sept. 25.

The DBM achieved a remarkable milestone by ranking in four categories: Rank 4 among line agencies with the highest organization-focused expenditure; Rank 7 among line agencies with the highest client-focused expenditure; Rank nine among line agencies with the highest client-focused allocation; and Rank 9 among line agencies with the highest organization-focused allocation.

I was pleasantly surprised by these recognitions, and I thank the PCW for acknowledging the DBM as one of the government entities that demonstrated exceptional commitment in allocating and utilizing its 2024 GAD Budget to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment.

I wholeheartedly agree with PCW Chairperson Emerlita Valdeavilla when she said in her speech during the awarding ceremony: “Every peso of the GAD Budget must reach those who need it most, untouched by corruption and full of empowerment, equality, and dignity.”

I believe our nation is fortunate to have a leader in the person of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PBBM), whose steadfast support enables us to advance inclusive, gender-responsive development so that every peso we steward delivers real safety, dignity, and opportunity for Filipinos—especially women and their families.

As PBBM underscored in his National Women’s Month message last March 8: “The Bagong Pilipinas we are building will always advocate for women’s rights and vigorously oppose anything threatening their progress.”

Hence, under PBBM’s leadership, we have the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, where gender fairness is not a mere side note—it is built into every plan, from promoting health and social protection to opening opportunities for decent jobs. Our National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2023–2033 does the same for peace and security, with particular focus on communities facing the greatest risks.

And in our National Budget, we walk the talk through the GAD Budget Policy—our very own “Women’s Budget”—which requires every agency to allocate at least five percent for gender-responsive programs and to report results. I am proud that we continue to meet—and, in many cases, exceed—this minimum.

Through our Gender and Development tagging, the Gender Mainstreaming Monitoring System (GMMS), Gender-Sensitive Procurement, the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA)++ Assessment Report, and soon, the GAD Accountability Dashboard, we follow pesos from plan to procurement to performance—ensuring that the Women’s Budget translates into real, lived outcomes.

As Budget Secretary, I commit to scaling up tracking and monitoring, and to strengthening gender-responsive public financial management. We will keep aligning systems, championing transparency, and listening to frontline workers, communities, and you—our partners. After all, good budgeting starts with good listening.

Our laws set the guardrails: the Magna Carta of Women and the Safe Spaces Act protect rights and dismantle barriers. But laws matter most when budgets and programs change daily life—when women feel safer, services are accessible, and opportunities are within reach.

In this light, I would now like to share how we are investing more in Filipino women through our National Expenditure Program (NEP) for Fiscal Year 2026.

We begin with the PCW, whose very mandate is to champion women’s rights and equality. For 2026, PCW is allocated ₱121 million to sustain its policy development, capacity-building, advocacy, and monitoring work. This includes maintaining the GAD databank, strengthening the GMMS, and providing technical assistance to agencies. With these investments, we guarantee that gender is not an afterthought, but is mainstreamed into the very heart of governance.

Health is one of the strongest pillars of women’s empowerment. The Department of Health and our partner institutions will continue to safeguard maternal and reproductive health with ₱10.2 billion for family health commodities. This includes provisions for vaccines, nutrition, and responsible parenting programs that directly impact mothers, infants, and young girls. On top of this, we are investing ₱24.2 billion in Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially-Incapacitated Patients and ₱1.3 billion for the Cancer Assistance Fund—so that no woman, regardless of income, is denied critical treatment.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development will continue to help women and children, with ₱113 billion for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and ₱27 billion for Protective Services for Individuals and Families in Difficult Circumstances .

We also know that peace cannot be sustainable without women. Thus, we allocated ₱12 million for the Women, Peace and Security Center of Excellence to strengthen the role of women as peacebuilders and community leaders, particularly in conflict-affected areas.

Beyond budget, the recognition that the DBM received during the 2024 Top Performing Agencies in the GAD Budget further fuels us to do more for women’s empowerment and rights. Indeed, we need more initiatives to break glass ceilings. I enjoin everyone to help build a Bagong Pilipinas where women and girls are always at the front and center.