Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

I've always believed that to serve effectively, especially in government, one must always strive for continuous improvement and lifelong learning. Education and training should not end with formal schooling, for they are crucial, not only to our professional and personal growth, but also to nation-building.

Last Nov. 27, 2025, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Public Financial Management Competency Program (PFMCP). Almost 300 PFM practitioners from all over the country were recognized for their contributions to the program.

I cannot help but be proud of the achievements of the PFMCP, which started as a pilot certification program way back in 2015. Developed by the DBM, the PFM Committee, and supported by the Philippines-Australia Public Financial Management Program (PFMP), it has since evolved into a vital platform that has delivered learning solutions to more than 15,000 PFM practitioners nationwide, boosting their job performance and supporting their career growth.

The program’s full curriculum consists of six learning tracks aligned with our government's PFM Competency Frameworks and delivered through a network of government and learning providers. It covers core or foundational PFM competencies and technical tracks, namely: Budgeting and performance, procurement, accounting, auditing, and cash management.

Personally, I have been exposed to PFM throughout my more than 20 years of public service. Being in the DBM, the Executive, the Legislature, when I was in the Senate, and even Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, I witnessed and learned its importance in effectively running the government.

Hence, I also believe that PFM is public service in its most practical form, and not mere technical work. Every peso managed well is a promise fulfilled to the people—to farmers who till our land, to educators who shape our children, and workers who help build our nation. Every budget decision must be grounded in integrity, a step that builds trust in our government.

Thus, during my tenure as Budget Secretary, I have been dedicated to institutionalizing budget reforms through policies, digital transformation, and enhancing our PFM initiatives, for I believe that a strengthened PFM is our country’s springboard to success, a key to attaining our Medium-Term Fiscal Framework goals and our Agenda for Prosperity.

Parallel to these efforts, we have strengthened the PFMCP to enable our practitioners to cope with the changing times. Our ultimate goal is to promote good governance, financial accountability, and effective resource management in the national government and in localities nationwide. Capacitating and empowering local PFM practitioners is a key component of the PFM Reforms Roadmap 2024-2028, the blueprint for harmonizing and modernizing the country's PFM landscape.

The PFMCP for LGUs aims to equip local financial managers with knowledge and skills to enable them to manage their resources effectively and efficiently, particularly their respective shares in the National Tax Allotment. It also encourages them to promote the timely and effective implementation of local programs and projects, resulting in improved spending efficiency, driving growth, and uplifting the lives of all Filipinos.

The DBM has also successfully conducted the PFMCP in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), capacitating PFM practitioners and executives from the different ministries of various provincial offices. Since 2018, the DBM, together with the BARMM Ministry of Finance and Budget and Management, in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has been implementing major capacity-building activities to help and guide the Bangsamoro Government in establishing a sound PFM system.

Looking back on the past 10 years, I am grateful—not only for the milestones reached, but for the people who made them possible. I am grateful to our champions and partners who believed in the vision, to our trainers who shared their expertise generously, and to our participants who committed to growing so they may serve our people better.

In this regard, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to our awardees. It truly warms my heart to know that the PFMCP is being run by competent and passionate individuals. While they may come from diverse backgrounds, they are bound by a common purpose: To promote a strong PFM system in the country, which results in better management of our public resources, and ultimately, uplift the quality of life of our fellow Filipinos.

And, if there is one thing I learned from this experience, it is this: Reforms that last begin silently, through the collective effort of individuals who deeply care about doing their work with commitment to excellence. The PFMCP stands as a testament that investing in our people is investing in the future of our nation.

Beyond budget, as I reflect on the first decade of the PFMCP, I do so with deep respect for the reforms that were initiated and put in motion even before its formal institutionalization. What we have today is the result of years of sustained effort— built across administrations, shaped by many hands, and strengthened over time. While important milestones were reached, the work has never been about a single term or individual. Strengthening public financial management is, and will always be, an ongoing process—one that must continuously adapt to evolving needs and emerging challenges. As Citizen Mina, I hope that the foundations laid over the years will continue to be reinforced, and that the PFMCP will remain a steady pillar of good governance for the years ahead.

(Amenah F. Pangandaman is the former Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management.)