Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Finance Secretary Ralph Recto thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his continued trust.

Balisacan and Recto made the statement following Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin's announcement that Marcos rejected the courtesy resignation of the members of the economic team.

Aside from Balisacan and Recto, Marcos also decided to reject the resignation of Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Roque, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and Special Assistant to the President for Investments and Economic Affairs Frederick Go.

"I thank the President for his continued trust and confidence and assure him of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development's continued efforts, together with members of the economic team, to steer the economy to a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient future where every Filipino benefits from our nation's progress," Balisacan said.

Recto, for his part, said the President's decision is a "vote of confidence."

"I thank the President for his continued trust. More than a vote of confidence, I take this as a marching order to push harder and deliver results faster, and thus we will also do our own recalibration within the department," Recto said.

Marcos earlier called on all Cabinet members to tender their courtesy resignations as part of a comprehensive performance review to assess their capabilities and ensure alignment with the administration’s agenda.

PNA PHOTO