Administration shifting to performance-driven approach
ALMOST all Cabinet secretaries and other key government officials have filed their courtesy resignations yesterday, just hours after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked them to amid efforts to recalibrate the administration following results of the May 12 midterm elections.
The President, through a news release issued yesterday morning, called for the courtesy resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries along with the Cabinet-level heads of agencies and advisers.
At an event in Malacañang in the afternoon, the President joked about his order.
“Teka may laman pa ba ‘yung Gabinete ko (Wait, is there anyone left in my Cabinet)? Who am I addressing now? We are in flux,” he said during the presentation of signed laws to stakeholders in Malacañang.
The Palace said government services will remain uninterrupted during the transition.
“With this bold reset, the Marcos administration signals a new phase — sharper, faster, and fully focused on the people’s most pressing needs,” it also said.
Marcos’ order came after his allies failed to win a majority of the Senate seats, leaving him facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028.
Candidates aligned with Marcos’ estranged vice president, Sara Duterte, outperformed expectations in the midterms, which many saw as a proxy battle between Marcos and the Duterte camps.
At least 30 Cabinet men have submitted courtesy resignation letters as of 6 p.m. yesterday, based on posts, messages to media and shared copies of resignation letters of officials and their respective departments,
Among them were Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.
The other secretaries are Rex Gatchalian (social welfare), Jesus Crispin Remulla (justice), Jonvic Remulla (interior and local government), Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (defense), Enrique Manalo (foreign affairs), Jay Ruiz (communications), Sonny Angara (education), Teodoro Herbosa Jr. (health), Conrado Estrella III (agrarian reform), Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga (environment);
Hans Leo Cacdac (migrant workers), Bienvenido Laguesma (labor), Cristina Frasco (tourism), Jose Rizalino Acuzar Jr. (housing), Ralph Recto (finance), Cristina Aldeguer-Roque (trade), Vivencio Dizon (transportation), Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. (agriculture), Raphael Lotilla (energy).
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Presidential Adviser for Investments and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, Anti-Red Tape Authority head Ernesto Perez, Peace and Unity Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., Legislative Liaison Office head Mark Mendoza, Presidential Management Staff head Elaine Masukat, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority administrator Katrina Ponce Enrile, and Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon have also submitted their courtesy resignation letters.
Those who have signified their plan to submit resignation letters were Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Amenah Pangandaman (Budget), Henry Aguda (Information and Communications), Renato Solidum (Science), Menardo Guevara (Solicitor General), Romando Artes (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority), Jose Benitez (Technical Education and Skills development Authority), and Dante Ang II (Commission on Filipino Overseas head).
NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL
The President, in the news release issued by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) earlier yesterday, said it was not business as usual as the people have already spoken that “they expect results — not politics, not excuses.”
“We hear them, and we will act,” Marcos was quoted as saying.
“This is not about personalities — it’s about performance, alignment, and urgency. Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognized. But we cannot afford to be complacent. The time for comfort zones is over,” he added.
The President said the call for courtesy resignations is aimed at giving him the elbow room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine who will continue to serve in line with his administration’s recalibrated priorities.
Marcos said the “stability, continuity, and meritocracy will guide the formation of his leadership team moving forward.”
He said the move is a clear transition from the early phase of governance to a more focused and performance-driven approach.
He assured the public that government services will remain uninterrupted during the transition.
‘WORK TO CONTINUE’
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Cabinet officials would continue to hold their post until a permanent appointment is made or actions are taken on their courtesy resignation.
In a briefing in Malacañang, she echoed the President’s assurance that all pending projects would not be affected or delayed by the courtesy resignations.
“Tuluy-tuloy lamang po ang pagtatrabaho ng mga Cabinet secretaries at ng mga tao sa gobyerno (The work of Cabinet secretaries and government officials will continue),” she said.
She said this will also give the Cabinet members a chance to prove why they should remain in their posts.
She said Malacañang will just announce the results of the performance evaluation in due time.
Castro said the courtesy resignation call is not limited to the Cabinet secretaries as it includes the Cabinet rank heads of agencies, the presidential advisers and assistants.
She said she is not aware of any specific Cabinet secretary that is targeted by the courtesy resignation directive.
She said the President had to ask for the courtesy resignation of all the Cabinet-level officials to make them realize if they have been doing their jobs well or if they are lacking in performance in any way.
MORE EFFICIENT SERVICE
The President, in a podcast interview on Monday, said the public had found the government’s performance lacking, which led to the poor performance of the administration candidates in the May 12 elections.
Only six of the 11 senatorial candidates won.
Marcos has said that in the second half of his term as president, the government would give more attention to programs and projects that would address the daily problems of the people and ensure that they would feel the impact these activities.
Castro said in Filipino, “In the President’s view, the people found the government’s performance lacking, that’s why he did not get the target number he wants in the senatorial race.”
Regardless, she added, the administration is intent on improving its performance and ensuring faster and more efficient public service.
Asked what the President would consider in deciding on whether to retain or dismiss a Cabinet member, Castro said these are issues of possible corruption or anomalies in the departments or agencies, aside from faster and efficient performance and delivery of service.
With less than three years in office left, Marcos is under pressure to deliver results and groom a successor capable of fending off any potential run by the popular Duterte in the 2028 presidential election.
Marcos has faced a steep decline in public support this year, with surveys by Pulse Asia showing his approval rating with voters dropping to 25% in March from 42% in February.
In stark contrast, Duterte enjoyed a significantly higher approval rating of 59% in March, the last poll Pulse Asia published before the midterms.
Sentiment towards the government has soured due in part to a perceived failure to control inflation, a top concern of Filipino households, even though it has been back within the central bank’s 2% to 4% target range since August. – With Victor Reyes, Gerard Naval and Reuters
