Marcos appoints UP prof as budget chief amid DBM reforms

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed University of the Philippines professor Kim Robert de Leon as secretary of the Department of Budget and Management on Tuesday, May 19, making him the youngest member of the Cabinet at 32.

Palance press officer Claire Castro confirmed the appointment and said De Leon is scheduled to take his oath on Tuesday.

De Leon Leon replaced Budget Undersecretary Rolando Toledo, who had served as acting DBM secretary since December 2025 following the resignation of former secretary Amenah Pangandaman amid allegations involving multibillion-peso flood control projects.

The appointment came as the DBM prepared the proposed 2027 national budget while facing calls for stronger transparency and accountability in government spending.

Malacanang said De Leon is also expected to help identify funding sources for the government’s response to the Middle East crisis and the ongoing energy emergency.

Toledo accepted the reassignment to the Board of Trustees of the Government Service Insurance System after nearly four decades in public service.

“I fully respect the wisdom of the President,” Toledo said in a statement released after the announcement.

“Rest assured that my commitment to serve our country and the Filipino people, which I have upheld for more than 38 years in public service, remains unchanged,” he added.

De Leon previously served as assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman National College of Public Administration and Governance after graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Public Administration in 2014.

He also served as DBM undersecretary from September 2021 to July 2022, overseeing organization systems improvement and information and communications technology operations.

De Leon later became undersecretary for administration and finance at the Department of Transportation from July 2022 to January 2024 before holding positions under the Office of the President.

He earned master’s degrees in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the Philippines and Public Safety Administration from the Philippine Public Safety College, and topped the 2016 Environmental Planning Licensure Examination.

The restructuring in the DBM began in November 2025 after Pangandaman and former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin resigned during investigations into alleged irregularities in public works and flood control projects.

The controversy intensified after former Ako Bicol representative Elizaldy Co claimed Pangandaman told him that the President wanted a P100-billion insertion in the 2025 national budget, an allegation she previously denied before stepping down.