Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced on Friday that the Marcos administration is undergoing a comprehensive performance evaluation of all remaining Cabinet secretaries to assess their effectiveness and determine who will continue to serve the Filipino people under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s leadership.
In a press briefing held at Malacañang, Bersamin revealed that initial changes have already been made, with five key members of the economic team retained, while two officials were replaced as part of an ongoing Cabinet revamp aimed at improving government operations. Bersamin emphasized that the evaluation process is designed to ensure that each Cabinet member is evaluated based on their specific responsibilities and the needs of their respective agencies.
“The President has made it clear that the evaluation will be immediate, but it will also be done in a careful and deliberate manner,” Bersamin stated. “Each Cabinet secretary has a unique set of duties, and the evaluation process must reflect that. It cannot be done arbitrarily or hastily.”
Bersamin refrained from providing a timeline for the completion of the evaluation, but assured the public that the process is being conducted with due diligence and will be concluded as swiftly as possible. He further stressed that the President’s goal is to improve government performance, ensuring that programs and services reach the people effectively and efficiently.
As part of this process, President Marcos had previously asked Cabinet members to tender courtesy resignations, in line with his administration’s commitment to addressing public concerns regarding delays in essential services. The resignation requests are seen as a way to ensure that only those who meet the President’s high expectations remain in office.
“The demand for courtesy resignations is an honorable way to allow those who may not align with the President’s vision to step aside gracefully,” Bersamin explained. “It reflects the President’s commitment to humanizing the process and making sure we’re serving the public to the best of our abilities.”
Bersamin reiterated that the ongoing Cabinet shakeup is not merely a superficial effort but part of a larger strategy to improve government performance. The President’s evaluation process will be tailored to each department’s specific tasks and objectives, with further announcements regarding changes to the Cabinet expected next week.
