Manila: The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Saturday it is ramping up its anti-corruption measures to safeguard government resources.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a Facebook post, the DBM said acting Secretary Rolando Toledo gave the assurance as he discussed the government's efforts to protect the national budget process during the 4th Ruperto P. Alonzo Memorial Lecture Series held at the University of the Philippines Diliman on Friday.

Toledo emphasized the importance of collective efforts among public servants, lawmakers, and citizens in upholding the country's fiscal integrity. 'At the DBM, we are strengthening systems so that corruption finds no easy entry point and public resources are genuinely used for their intended purpose,' Toledo said, as quoted by the DBM, reaffirming the agency's unwavering commitment to good governance.

With the theme 'Protecting Fiscal Integrity: Fighting Corruption in Public Finance,' the event was held in recognition of renowned economist Ruperto Alonzo, highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in public service.

Also on Friday, the DBM convened the 5th Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS) Central Project Management Group (CPMG) to strengthen inter-agency collaboration for digital Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms. The session aims to sustain the momentum of the BTMS rollout, discussing key updates on its implementation, rollout progress across agencies, system enhancements, and priority actions to ensure seamless adoption and improved government financial operations.

The DBM said it would sustain collaboration with partner agencies to build a 'more transparent, agile, and future-ready' PFM system. Present at the meeting were CPMG chairperson and DBM Undersecretary Maria Francesca Del Rosario, Deputy Treasurer of the Philippines Eduardo Anthony Mari±o III, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Undersecretary Monica Pagunsan, Finance Assistant Secretary Angelica Sarmiento, and Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Johannes Paulus Acu±a.