29-05-2025
President Marcos appoints two new Cabinet officials after performance review
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed two new Cabinet officials following a performance review aimed at improving government services.
Engr. Jose Ramon Aliling has been sworn in as the new Secretary of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), replacing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, who is now the Presidential Adviser for Pasig River Development.
Aliling previously served as a DHSUD undersecretary, giving him familiarity with the agency's housing and urban development work.
Meanwhile, Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe has been appointed as the new Solicitor General, taking over from Atty. Menardo Guevarra. She is currently the Dean of the UP College of Law and previously served as the CEO of the Pag-IBIG Fund, a housing loan and savings program widely used by Filipinos.
The appointments follow President Marcos' directive for all Cabinet members to submit courtesy resignations as part of an overall assessment to improve government efficiency and responsiveness.
'I don't do things for optics. If there is a problem, I like to fix it… expect us to be doing a rigorous performance review, not only at the Cabinet level, but even deeper,' Marcos said during the recent ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed that while two resignations have been accepted, the President has kept his economic team and retained Bersamin as executive secretary.
