Marcos picks young UP professor as new budget chief

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has picked Kim Robert de Leon — a young former budget department executive and assistant professor at the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) of the University of the Philippines Diliman — as his new budget chief, Malacañang announced on Monday, May 18. 

Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed De Leon’s appointment in a briefing. De Leon is set to take his oath on Tuesday, May 19.  

De Leon, who would be in his early 30s, becomes the “youngest member of the [Marcos] Cabinet,” according to Castro.  

The youngest member of the Marcos Cabinet was described as an expert on “fiscal management, organizational reform, and digital transformation” by the Palace.

De Leon, who graduated magna cum laude from the NCPAG in 2014, was once the budget department’s undersecretary for Organization and Systems Improvement and Information and Communications Technology Groups. 

He had also served in the Department of Transportation as undersecretary for administration and finance.

De Leon takes over a department that since November 2025 has been headed by an interim chief, Undersecretary Rolando Toledo. 

Toledo, in turn, stepped in after Marcos’ first budget chief Amenah Pangandaman “resigned” in mid-November 2025 amid allegations of her involvement in a flood control corruption controversy that had swept most corners of government, including allies of Marcos himself and officials in the executive branch.

In a statement, Toledo said he serves “at the pleasure of the President, and I fully respect the wisdom of his decisions.”

“As I transition from this role, I extend my wholehearted support to the new DBM Secretary and remain confident in the Department’s continued pursuit of sound, transparent, and people-centered governance,” he said. 

“I remain deeply grateful to God for granting me the opportunity and privilege to serve the DBM as its Secretary. I firmly believe that everything happens according to His greater purpose and perfect timing,” Toledo added. – Rappler.com