Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Some people enter your life by circumstance. And then some stay, not just in your memory, but in the work you continue to do long after they are gone. Joselito "Jojit" Basilio was that kind of person to me.

I have often said this, and I will say it again because it remains the truest way I know how to describe him: Jojit had a beautiful mind and heart.

I first met him at the University of the Philippines School of Economics, where we were both taking our Master’s in Development Economics. Even then, he stood out because of how naturally excellence came to him. He was sharp, thoughtful, and deeply grounded. You could ask him the most complex question, and he would respond with clarity and kindness.

Years later, when I became the Assistant Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, we crossed paths again. He was then with his research team. By that time, his brilliance had matured into something even more meaningful. He did not see economics as an abstract concept but as a tool to improve lives.

So, when I became secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), choosing him to lead the Budget Policy and Strategy (BPS) Group was not a difficult decision. I had big dreams for the department, and I knew they needed more than ambition. They required discipline, rigor, and someone who could turn vision into something concrete. Jojit was that person. And I was right.

Jojit was one of those who saw how the first appointed Economic Team worked on this Administration’s very first Medium-Term Fiscal Framework. Where we dreamed the impossible dream of hitting six to eight percent growth rates … and we did. It was while he was the DBM’s Principal Economist and Undersecretary (Usec.) for Budget Policy that the Philippines hit its highest GDP in 46 years. It was while he was Usec. for the BPS Group that the Philippines became the fastest-growing economy among emerging economies in Asia.

But Usec. Jojit also had many visions of his own, which he made a reality, with my support and the entire DBM family.

It was Usec. Jojit who came up with the first-ever Fiscal Policy Conference, the idea for submissions of fiscal policy papers, the publication of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) Legacy Book, and who was able to get our technical assistance for the Public Financial Management Reforms Roadmap, which we were able to present to the President.

At the DBCC, he served as chair of the DBCC Executive Technical Board. He also initiated having Regional Dialogues. Indeed, he was exceptional that I asked him to represent me in not just one, but 15 inter-agency committees. It was also through Jojit’s efforts that the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability Assessments expanded beyond the usual budget assessment, to include assessments on climate-, disaster-, child-, and gender-responsiveness.

I remember speaking with his mother, who shared how tired he would come home, how little he slept. That was the reality of how we worked. At the DBM, we used to say, “Dito Bawal Matulog.” Said half in jest, but it reflected the pace we kept. Jojit kept up with all of it, without complaint.

And yet, he was never just about work.

Jojit knew how to live fully. He could keep up with the younger staff, share stories, laugh easily, and bring a kind of lightness that balanced the intensity of what we did. He was even referred to as the “Coco Martin of DBM.” People were drawn to him because he was genuine.

He was also a man of deep faith. Not everyone knew that he once considered becoming a priest. But when you saw how he treated people—with kindness, patience, and quiet generosity—you would understand that his faith was something he carried into everything he did.

When I think of him now, I do not just think of policies or programs. I think of the trust we built, the work we shared, and the many moments that never made it into reports or speeches but mattered just the same.

He helped me shape the direction of the Department. He helped me make sense of difficult choices. And in many ways, he helped me believe that what we were trying to do was possible. He was and will always be the best Principal Economist the DBM has ever had.

Beyond budget, the numbers, and all the policy work, what will stay with me is who Jojit was at his core—my dear friend, a man of quiet brilliance and even greater kindness.

As Citizen Mina, I offer a quiet prayer of gratitude for Jojit. I thank God for the life he fully lived, for the wisdom unselfishly shared with our nation and me, and for all his kindness.

Rest well, dear friend. I will cherish your memory, not just through the work you helped shape, but in the way I choose to live with the same purpose and heart as you did.