Marcos Jr’s Cabinet resignations: A shake-up in public service

In an unprecedented move, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. fired what can only be described as a political thunderclap on Thursday (May 22).

In a bold and sudden manoeuvre: he demanded “courtesy resignations” from all Cabinet members. 

As of Saturday (May 24), 52 have already stepped down in a major shakeup. The President, however, retained Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and the economic team. 

He also rejected the courtesy resignations of his economic team — Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Roque, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Economic Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, and Special Assistant to the President for Investments and Economic Affairs Frederick Go.

The Palace said Marcos’ directive was meant to “recalibrate" his administration following the results of the 2025 midterm elections and realign government with the people's expectations.

“This is not business as usual,” Marcos said.

The move came just three days after Marcos, in the premiere episode of his “BBM Podcast” aired Monday, revealed that the performance review of Cabinet members is underway.

What do those words actually mean?

This isn’t just a reshuffle — it’s a reckoning. It’s also a clear warning shot across the bow of Philippine bureaucracy. 

The Asian country is no stranger to political drama, but this move caught even seasoned observers off guard. 

It signals a potentially seismic shift in how public service is valued: performance over position, accountability over allegiances. 

On the surface, the purge follows a sobering electoral reality check. The Marcos-backed senatorial slate faltered in the May 12 midterms, with only 7 out of 12 making the cut. 

The top spots were clinched by Duterte-aligned candidates and returning opposition voices — a symbolic rebuke of the current administration’s inner circle. 

The public spat between the Marcos and Duterte camps has clearly fractured the 2022 "Uniteam" ticket, unraveling the very promise that got BBM and VP Sara Duterte elected in a landslide.

Still, beneath the noise of political infighting, the country’s economic engine is humming. 

Under Marcos Jr.’s watch, tourism numbers are up, and green energy investments have poured in, reaching trillions of pesos. GDP growth in 2024 clocked in at an impressive 5.6%, placing the Philippines among Southeast Asia’s top performers. Teachers' salaries were raised, while soldiers' allowances were more than doubled.

Forecasts for 2025 remain solid, with ADB projecting 6.0% growth, even amid global headwinds.

Shakeup

This is what makes the Cabinet shake-up remarkable. Marcos Jr. could have coasted on the economic momentum, quietly adjusting course behind the scenes. 

Instead, he chose to make a dramatic stand — a move that reflects both confidence and clarity.

He’s willing to bite the bullet.

In the past, he has expressed admiration for Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, and considers the island-nation, its culture of meritocracy, a development model.

And this time, it’s clear: Marcos Jr. is no longer playing second fiddle to the legacy of his father.

Charting own path

Now, BBM is certainly charting his own path. He’s vetoed billions in questionable line items from the 2025 budget. 

His BBM (Build Better More) programme includes 194 infrastructure projects totaling ₱9 trillion ($161 billion) – spanning public transport, connectivity, water resources, digital infrastructure, health, agriculture, and energy sectors. 

His most ambitious project yet: the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH), launched in 2022, as a national housing rollout that aims to build 1 million housing units per year to address the country's affordable housing backlog.. 

Marcos Jr also made a bold promise: make rice more affordable, while pushing reforms in agriculture (an agency he briefly led). Today, there’s evidence of rice farming being modernised or mechanised, raising production output.

In July 2023, he signed a RA 11953 which condoned over ₱57 billion ($1 billion) in debts for more than 610,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries, freeing them from financial burdens related to land amortisations. 

His promise of cheaper (Php20/kg) rice, was initially barred by the country’s election agency. On April 28, then-Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr (one of those who resigned on May 22) announced the Php20 Rice Project would still be introduced. It’s a promise delivered, albeit limited and curtailed.

Recently, he shut down the iconic but deteriorating San Juanico Bridge, now 52 years old, to heavy trucks — a deeply unpopular move but a necessary one. 

And perhaps most daring of all, he signaled support for sending former President Duterte to The Hague, a decision few thought he’d ever entertain.

Clear messager

This latest move sends a clear message to the bureaucracy: shape up or ship out. It’s not just a warning to Cabinet members — it’s a rallying cry for a new era of public service, where tenure is earned, proven with hard data.

The Philippines has over 1.6 million career civil servants, plus additional non-career and contractual staff.

Could this usher in a new culture of meritocracy? As pundits consider its ramification, this recalibration is a bold step if the Philippines is to finally graduate to upper middle-income country status.

It’s also risky.

Under the Constitution, Marcos Jr's term ends on June 30, 2028. He's got 3 years to make things happen, before Filipinos get to pick his successor.

For once, it’s refreshing to see a Philippine president betting big — not on loyalty, but on performance.

It’s about time.