The Malacañang Palace announced on Monday the appointment of Kim Robert de Leon as the new secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), replacing acting Secretary Rolando Toledo.
De Leon is the president’s youngest cabinet member at 32 years old.
He, according to Undersecretary Claire Castro, is “recognized for his work in fiscal management, organizational reform, and digital transformation.”
He graduated as magna cum laude and valedictorian from the University of the Philippines – National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration degree, while topping the Environmental Planning Licensure Examination in 2016.
De Leon had also served as an assistant professor at his alma mater. Meanwhile, he held positions in the government, serving as the Department of Transportation’s undersecretary for administration and finance, Secretary General of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, and undersecretary of the DBM, overseeing the Organization and Systems Improvement and Information and Communications Technology Groups.
De Leon is also known for setting the Guinness World Record for the largest stamp collection on 22 February 2022, with a total of 2,398 postage stamps of Roman Catholic leaders such as Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. He showcased his collection in an exhibit at Robinson Manila, organized by the Philippine Postal Corporation.
According to Guinness, de Leon started his postage stamp collection as a hobby and due to his interest in popes.
