Marcos vows zero tolerance for fund abuse, wastage

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

Marcos’ remarks come amid his continuing campaign against entrenched corruption in public works, particularly in flood control projects. (PCO photo)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday underscored his administration’s resolve to ensure that every peso of public money truly benefits Filipinos, warning that wastage, inefficiency, and corruption in government spending will not be tolerated.

Speaking at the Philippine Development Forum (PDF) 2025 in Mandaluyong City, Marcos said the national budget is both a “moral and economic compass” that must always point toward improving the lives of citizens.

“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 farm families,” Marcos said.

“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 (We will not waste money. We will not allow the misuse of public funds),” he stressed.

Marcos’ remarks come amid his continuing campaign against entrenched corruption in public works, particularly in flood control projects.

The President highlighted education as the government’s top investment, with the Department of Education receiving the largest allocation in the proposed 2026 national budget.

He said classrooms, teacher training, and school feeding programs are essential “seeds towards real, lasting progress.”

“Every classroom built, every teacher trained, every child supported, is a seed towards real, lasting progress,” Marcos said, urging agencies to accelerate the construction and rehabilitation of thousands of classrooms.

Marcos also announced reforms to streamline the use of Official Development Assistance (ODA), including revised guidelines for the Investment Coordination Committee and measures to cut bureaucratic delays.

“We know that funding alone is not enough. Critical bottlenecks and systemic challenges have long hindered us from optimally utilizing the ODA,” he said.

“We are taking action to streamline the process, cut bureaucratic delays, accelerate public service.”

The PDF 2025, which gathered development partners and government officials under the theme “Bringing Together Progress for All: Services that Matter, Results that Last”, also tackled updates on the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the country’s transition toward upper middle-income status.

Marcos said that while the forum will conclude with a joint declaration, its true value lies in “real change, real impact, and real progress.”

“Declarations by themselves do not create results. They set the direction of what our collective actions will be. Together, let us continue shaping a strong, fair, and future-ready Bagong Pilipinas,” he said.