The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is stepping up its anti-corruption drive to aggressively protect government resources and shut down vulnerabilities in public finance.
In a Facebook post, the DBM said acting Secretary Rolando Toledo delivered the message as he laid out the government’s hardline stance on safeguarding the national budget process during the 4th Ruperto P. Alonzo Memorial Lecture Series held Friday at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Toledo stressed that protecting fiscal integrity demands decisive, collective action from public servants, lawmakers, and citizens alike, warning that complacency leaves room for abuse.
“At the DBM, we are strengthening systems so that corruption finds no easy entry point and public resources are genuinely used for their intended purpose,” Toledo said, as quoted by the DBM, reiterating the agency’s firm and uncompromising commitment to good governance.
Held under the theme “Protecting Fiscal Integrity: Fighting Corruption in Public Finance,” the event honored renowned economist Ruperto Alonzo and underscored the critical role of transparency and accountability in public service.
Also on Friday, the DBM convened the 5th Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS) Central Project Management Group (CPMG) to tighten inter-agency coordination and accelerate digital Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms.
The session focused on maintaining the momentum of the BTMS rollout, tackling implementation updates, deployment progress across agencies, system upgrades, and priority actions to ensure swift adoption and stronger government financial operations.
The DBM said it will continue to press forward with partner agencies to build a “more transparent, agile, and future-ready” PFM system.
Attending the meeting were CPMG chairperson and DBM Undersecretary Maria Francesca Del Rosario, Deputy Treasurer of the Philippines Eduardo Anthony Mariño III, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Undersecretary Monica Pagunsan, Finance Assistant Secretary Angelica Sarmiento, and Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Johannes Paulus Acuña.
PCO PHOTO