President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday pledged firm action against wasteful spending of public funds while saying that Official Development Assistance (ODA) will be directed toward key sectors that directly benefit Filipino families.
In his keynote address at the Philippine Development Forum (PDF) 2025 held at the EDSA Shangri-La in Mandaluyong City, President Marcos said accountability and efficiency must guide the use of the national budget and external aid.
“We will not tolerate measurement without action, nor will we tolerate the wastage of public funds. Walang perang sasayangin. Hindi tayo papayag na lustayin ang kaban ng bayan, President Marcos said.
“Our national budget serves as our moral and economic compass. It must always point toward making life better for our people. Every project, every policy, every program, every peso must move the needle for Filipino families,” the President also said.
The Chief Executive said that ODA will be strategically channeled into education, healthcare, infrastructure, social protection, agriculture, and disaster risk resilience — sectors he described as vital to improving the lives of ordinary Filipinos.
While ODA has long supported the country’s development, President Marcos noted that critical bottlenecks and systemic hurdles have hindered its optimal use.
As part of his reform agenda, President Marcos announced the revision of the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) guidelines—the first comprehensive update in a decade—to streamline and accelerate project implementation.
“We are also introducing measures to simplify the issuance of Special Authority—enabling faster mobilization of assistance aligned with national priorities. Be assured that we continue to listen to the concerns and recommendations of our development partners. We are determined to go further,” the President said.
The PDF 2025 serves as a high-level dialogue platform for policy and financing priorities of the government with development partners, in alignment with the results of the 2025 policy reviews. It ensures that government efforts and those of development partners remain responsive and harmonized across all sectors. | PND
