Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

As we grow older, birthdays quietly change their meaning. They become less about celebration and more about reflection. Less about counting the years, and more about pausing—gently—to ask ourselves how we have lived, whom we have served, and what truly matters.

This year, my birthday feels different. It feels sacred.

For the first time in a long while, I will mark this day not as a government official, not as a Cabinet Secretary weighed down by deadlines and decisions, but simply as Citizen Mina.

After years of serving as secretary of the Department of Budget and Management, I now find myself in a quieter space—one without hurried calls, late-night budget briefings, or the constant urgency of national imperatives. It is a rare stillness, one that allows gratitude and reflection to finally settle in.

Looking back, many moments of my life unfolded away from public view. Birthdays spent in meetings. Family milestones missed. Prayers whispered in passing because duty could not wait. These were sacrifices made out of love for country. I hold them not with regret, but with understanding.

Because true public service always asks something of you. It asks for time. It asks for presence. It asks for pieces of yourself you may never fully recover.

And still, knowing what I know now, I would choose it again.

At this time of year, the DBM is usually deep into preparations for the signing of the General Appropriations Act (GAA). I know my former colleagues are carrying that responsibility today with the same quiet dedication and resolve we once shared. I keep them in my thoughts and prayers, trusting that the work continues with the same sense of purpose.

Tomorrow, I will celebrate my birthday with family, relatives, and a few close friends. There will be stories retold, laughter that lingers, and moments of stillness I have not allowed myself for a long time. Moments to sit with gratitude. Moments to simply be human.

Yet even in this calm, I know that stepping outside government does not mean stepping away from responsibility. Nation-building does not end with a title. It continues in citizenship, in conscience, and in care for the country we call home.

Every birthday, people ask me what I wish for.

This year, my wish is simple, but deeply meaningful: continuity.

I hope for the sustained strengthening of the fiscal and governance reforms we worked so hard to institutionalize at the DBM—reforms designed not for individuals, but for institutions; not for the present alone, but for generations yet to come.

Foremost among these is the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA), one of the most significant anti-corruption reforms in recent history. It modernizes public procurement, closes long-standing loopholes, and embeds transparency and efficiency into how public funds are spent. At its heart, the NGPA is about restoring trust—ensuring that every peso entrusted to government finds its way back to the people and improves lives in ways they can truly feel.

Digital transformation also remains close to my heart. From modernizing procurement systems, to opening budget data through platforms like Project DIME that allow citizens to monitor projects in real time; from the Public Financial Management Reforms Roadmap 2024–2028, to the strengthening of the Integrated Financial Management Information System, including the Budget and Treasury Management System—these reforms are about more than technology.

They are about access. They are about transparency. They are about dignity.

I hope they continue to reach even the most remote communities, so that progress leaves no one behind.

Equally dear to me are our commitments to Open Government, women’s and girls’ empowerment, and climate resilience. These are not optional ideals. They are necessary foundations for a just, equitable, and resilient future.

One of the most meaningful parts of my tenure was helping shape the GAA anchored on the theme, “Agenda for prosperity: Nurturing future-ready generations to achieve the full potential of the nation.” I have always believed that a national budget is not merely a financial document—it is a moral one. It reflects what a nation values, whom it protects, and how it imagines its future. My hope is for its smooth signing, so that our collective journey toward prosperity may continue uninterrupted.

I also believe that true reform is never about personalities. It must outlive administrations, political affiliations, and individual leadership. Institutions matter. Systems matter. And healing—whether of individuals, teams, or a nation—takes time, humility, and collective effort.

Leaving government has given me space to reflect and to be deeply grateful—to my DBM family who worked tirelessly, often unseen; to our partners across agencies and sectors; to the President for the trust to serve; and to the Filipino people for the privilege of being part of their story.

As I mark another year, I do so with quiet resolve. I am Citizen Mina now—but I remain committed to good governance. I will continue to advocate for fiscal responsibility with a human face—one that reaches teachers in classrooms, farmers in their fields, fisherfolk at sea, and workers who labor every day with dignity and hope.

My prayer is that the seeds we planted together will continue to grow and bear fruit—not just for us, but for future generations who deserve a fairer, kinder, and more compassionate nation.

This birthday, my greatest wish is that we continue to rise—wiser, kinder, and more united—as individuals and as a country.

After all, Beyond Budget, public service has never been just about numbers or policies. It has always been about people.