BEYOND BUDGET Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Have you ever looked up at the stars at night and wondered what it would be like out there in space? I have. When I was a child, I would hear stories of terrestrial beings and unidentified flying objects. Such was the romanticized notion...
BEYOND BUDGET Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Today, Aug. 9, 2023, we join our indigenous brothers and sisters in marking two significant occasions: the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and the National Indigenous Peoples Day. With the theme, “Indigenous youth...
BEYOND BUDGET Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. Schools teach us the importance of understanding the five Ms of Management of an enterprise or organization — money, machine, material, method, and manpower. Of these five, I believe that manpower is the most vital resource of all. For...
BEYOND BUDGET *Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.* Last Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivered his second State of the Nation Address, reflecting on his administration’s first year in office which focused on socioeconomic transformation, laying the groundwork for a...
BEYOND BUDGET *Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.* Time flies, indeed. For us, in the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., it has flown rather swiftly. In 2022, the President unveiled his eight-point socioeconomic agenda, the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, and...
BEYOND BUDGET * * *Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.* I always get a sense of nostalgia whenever I visit the charming coastal town of Baler in the province of Aurora. Fond memories fill my mind, especially when with the people who have shaped my life and work now. Many people think of...
BEYOND BUDGET Eid Mubarak! June is certainly a fulfilling month. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed two measures that I had been fervently hoping would be passed. On June 1, President BBM signed Executive Order No. 29, which directs the full adoption of the Integrated Financial Management...
BEYOND BUDGET *Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.* It’s been said that the best way to create the future is to build it now. The agenda for prosperity is a sturdy benchmark of how we’re visualizing our future and working towards economic transformation with inclusivity and...
BEYOND BUDGET *Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.* Last Monday, we celebrated the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence. This is an appropriate time for Filipinos to remember our heroes, whose valiant acts have led to our national transformation and freedom. And as we reflect on...
BEYOND BUDGET *Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.* When I was given the honor to serve our country as budget secretary, I already knew my “why.” It was to make a positive difference and push for fiscal reforms through policies and action. Recently, I wrote about how an open...
BEYOND BUDGET *Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.* “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” — Mahatma Ghandi Each of us may be from different backgrounds and upbringings, but as Filipinos, we're tied together by a common history and environment,...
BEYOND BUDGET *Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.* “How does it feel to be the first Muslim budget secretary and the only Muslim in this administration’s Cabinet?” That's a question I get a lot. Consistently, I always answer that I feel very honored for being able to represent and...
