MBC: ‘Spare economic team from shakeup’
‘It’s time to realign government with the people’s expectations. This is not business as usual.’
Daily Tribune‘It’s time to realign government with the people’s expectations. This is not business as usual.’
Trade groups urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday to spare his economic team from the ongoing cabinet revamp, as the officials are performing well.
Business leaders were reacting to President Marcos’ directive to Cabinet secretaries to submit courtesy resignations to “recalibrate” his administration’s performance after the dismal results of the Marcos allies in the senatorial elections, deemed a midterm referendum.
Marcos Jr. said: “It’s time to realign government with the people’s expectations. This is not business as usual. The people have spoken, and they expect results, not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act.”
The economic team was quick to heed the call, sending their courtesy resignations, namely Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque; Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan; Finance Secretary Ralph Recto; Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go; Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel; Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman; Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla; Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, and Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda.
An official of the Makati Business Club expressed hope that the President will also be quick to announce the replacements of those relieved or the reappointment of those retained to preclude the economic impact of the government vacuum.
“Although there is no perfect score to be given to the economic team, generally speaking, the President has a very good economic team. We can give them an 8 out of 10, particularly the Agriculture, Transportation, OSAPIEA, and the DTI, even if they are relatively new to their posts,” MBC chairperson Edgar Chua said in a media briefing.
For his part, MBC president Apa Ongpin said MBC does not expect a massive revamp, especially in the economic team.
“Although they have submitted courtesy resignations, we expect at least two of them will be replaced, and others will be reappointed. These people are qualified, and we will be very surprised if President Marcos accepts their resignations and lets them go,” Ongpin said.
Chua said that if many economic team members are replaced, it will be disruptive, stating that they hope the President will retain the good ones, and their performance speaks for itself.”
Principled leadership
Meanwhile, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) president Alfredo Panlilio underscored the value of principled leadership and accountability in driving progress and delivering meaningful results, in light of Marcos’ call to reset key leadership roles.
“We understand the President’s actions and intentions as this happens in business and the private sector. A CEO needs to make difficult calls, such as replacing talent, to improve the organization’s performance,” he said.
“Difficult as it may be, the call of leadership is to make such hard decisions to establish meritocracy and encourage performance. We hope the President will find the appropriate talents for those he decides to replace — people who can effectively execute his government’s plans,” according to the MAP president.
He expressed his trust to the President that he will choose capable, proactive, and committed individuals who will work together as a cohesive team to execute the nation’s plans to uplift the lives of all Filipinos and move closer to the outcomes that the people deserve.
Writing on the wall
Meanwhile, Employers Confederation of the Philippines chairperson Edgardo Lacson maintained that the cabinet shakeup is a prerogative of the President, done during the midterm of his presidency, an opportune time for a sitting president to realign his cabinet, the extent and depth of reorganization, “heavily influenced by the result of midterm elections.”
Only five senators from BBM’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas entered the Magic 12 of the 2025 senatorial race, namely Erwin Tulfo, Vicente Tito Sotto, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid and Panfilo Lacson.
“With the unmistakable defeat of Pres. BBM’s official senatorial line up, he has to bend to the will of the electorate by shaking his cabinet and replacing the perceived weak and retaining the exemplary performers to keep the momentum of his agenda until the end of his term, just like a mobile phone that gets stalled and needs to be refreshed,” Lacson told the DAILY TRIBUNE.