President Marcos has vowed that not a single centavo of public money will be wasted as his administration implements sweeping reforms to fast-track the country’s development programs and foreign-assisted projects.

Marcos said this as Congress conducts budget deliberations amid ongoing investigations into anomalies in infrastructure projects.

In his speech during the Philippine Development Forum 2025 in Mandaluyong City, the President reiterated that public funds will not be wasted.

“Walang perang sasayangin. Hindi tayo papayag na lustayin ang kaban ng bayan (No money will go to waste. We will not allow the people’s coffers to be squandered),” he said Monday, Oct. 6.

Marcos said his government has revised the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) guidelines for the first time in a decade and introduced measures to simplify the issuance of Special Authority for project approvals. These, he said, will cut bureaucratic delays and ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds are used efficiently for the country’s top priorities.

“Funding alone is not enough,” he stressed, citing how long-standing bottlenecks and red tape have hindered the country from fully utilizing ODA.

“We have taken action to streamline processes, accelerate public service, and ensure that our development partnerships directly benefit the Filipino people,” he said.

President Marcos said the government’s “moral and economic compass” should always point toward improving the lives of Filipinos, starting with education.

For Fiscal Year 2026, Marcos said the Department of Education (DepEd) will receive the largest proposed budget among all departments, underscoring his belief that education is central to national progress.

“Every classroom built, every teacher trained, every child supported is a seed towards real, lasting progress,” he said.

He directed the epEd and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fast-track the construction and rehabilitation of thousands of classrooms by 2028, and urged the Public-Private Partnership Center to speed up the review of PPP proposals for school infrastructure.

“No child should be forced to learn in makeshift spaces, and no teacher should be burdened by a system that does not support them,” Marcos said.

The President said true progress must be felt in the daily lives of citizens, not just seen in economic indicators.

“True progress goes beyond numbers and charts,” he said. “It must be a lived experience—felt by people through quality education, better healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, which aims to generate jobs, reduce poverty, and build a resilient, inclusive economy.

Marcos also announced that the Philippines is gearing up for its transition to upper middle-income country status, a milestone that he said requires stronger alignment between government agencies, the private sector, and international partners.

“This transition demands a kind of partnership built on stronger alignment, shared goals, and genuine national ownership,” he said.

He thanked development partners for their continued support, adding that their trust and cooperation have been instrumental in turning government vision into tangible outcomes.

“Declarations by themselves do not create results, but they set the direction of what our collective actions will be,” the President said.

The Philippine Development Forum 2025 serves as a high-level platform for dialogue between the Philippine government and its development partners, spearheaded by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).

With the theme “Bringing Together Progress for All: Services that Matter, Results that Last,” the event highlights collaboration on policy and financing priorities aligned with the midterm update of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028, the Official Development Assistance Portfolio Review, and President Marcos’ fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In his remarks, the President said the forum’s theme challenges government and partners alike “to reflect on what real progress looks like in this day and age,” stressing that development must be both inclusive and lasting.

The Forum also tackled urgent development challenges and emerging opportunities, ensuring that the priorities, policies, and programs of both the Philippine government and its partners remain responsive and effective across all sectors.