The Commission on Appointments confirms the appointment of Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
MANILA, Philippines — Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman breezes through the Commission on Appointments (CA) with no objections in the committee meeting and plenary session on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
The CA, chaired by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, confirmed the ad interim appointment of Pangandaman as head of the DBM.
In her opening statement, Pangandaman laid out the agency’s goal of uplifting the lives of the Filipino people and spurring growth and development even in the farthest areas.
“I believe in the vision of this administration for inclusive and sustainable growth and I am determined to do my best, along with the other economic managers, to achieve our dream for this country of eradicating poverty and achieving upper middle-income status; to achieve the dream of a better Philippines for all, including and especially for those in the farthest areas who are often neglected, like Mindanao, where I am from,” Pangandaman stated.
The Budget chief noted that she will not only support the Marcos administration’s economic vision and agenda but will also commit to fully working with the different branches of government to achieve lasting change and reform, particularly in implementing the digitalization of bureaucracy as her top priority.
“I have always recognized that our government is not just one institution, and that institutions must not work in silos to make lasting change. With this as my mindset, the phrase “Whole-of-Government” is the approach I fully embrace and espouse, especially in how we are to manage our economic resources, and uphold the interest of the nation and our people,” Pangandaman emphasized.
“For the first budget that I led as Secretary, with our equally competent and integrity-filled team, we made sure that the National Expenditure Program is fully aligned with the President’s vision, with the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework and with the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda,” Pangandaman added.
Meanwhile, the committee members have expressed their full support for the appointment of Pangandaman and vouched for her integrity.
“I fully support the nomination of my dear, dear friend, Secretary Mina Pangandaman, my fellow Mindanaoan and my fellow public servant,” Zubiri said.
“Her father is from Marawi City. Her mother is from Tarlac City. Her great grandparents are from the royal houses of Maranao royal houses of Marawi City. She’s the only Muslim member of cabinet,” Zubiri added. He further expressed, “I know the integrity of this lady, and she is the easiest to talk to, my dear colleagues. Alam ko, may isang salita po si Secretary Mina,” Zubiri added.
“I wholeheartedly place my full trust and confidence in Secretary Pangandaman as she is highly-qualified to perform the duties and responsibilities that accompany her post. With her impressive track record, extensive experience, and expertise in the economic sector, she will definitely bring meaningful change and tangible results that will greatly benefit the department,” Senator Christopher “Bong” Go expressed.
“She is the second to the youngest person in the Cabinet who is a woman, who worked extensively in the Senate. She knows no hours. Maski hating gabi, Sabado at Linggo, nagtatrabaho. Never ko napagalitan, never ko nahingan ng pagkukulang. She has utmost integrity— commitment to public service. I am very proud that this young lady is now a member of the Cabinet. Hindi umaangal sa akin. Masipag, magaling, at maasahan. I am speaking from experience,” Senator Loren Legarda said.
For her part, Senator Grace Poe said, “Sec Mina is the lone rose among the thorns among the pool of economic managers. Her educational background prepared her for the role. Sec. Mina has been trained by SEJA, Sen Loren Legarda, and Sec. Ben Diokno. A staffer who rose from the ranks, she has more than two decades of budget experience in Senate. We need someone with acquired knowledge in the legislative and executive, and expertise in the budget process like her at the helm of the DBM.”
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano likewise expressed his full support for confirming Secretary Pangandaman’s appointment.
“On the part of the minority, may I just repeat the line I said in the hearing that she’s a woman in a predominantly male cabinet. She is a Muslim in a predominantly Catholic and Christian nation. She’s no stranger in being a minority. She doesn’t only have a strong voice. Now she has a big voice sa budget, so we are hoping that many of those who are voiceless and minority in the Philippines will have a voice in the Cabinet. So in behalf of the minority, we have no objection, and we wish her well,” Sen. Cayetano said.
Prior to her appointment as the Budget chief, Pangandaman served as Assistant Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas championing financial inclusion and digital transformation. She also served as DBM Assistant Secretary and then Undersecretary during the term of former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno. Before her stint in the DBM, she spent her formative years as a public servant as the Chief-of-Staff to Former Senate President Edgardo Angara and Committee on Finance Chairperson Loren Legarda.
In over two months, with Pangandaman at the helm of the Budget Department, the DBM has crafted the 2023 National Expenditure Program that centers on infrastructure, agriculture, health, human capital development, and social protection investments.
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