Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed former Undersecretary Kim Robert de Leon as the new budget chief, replacing Rolando Toledo who has held the role in an acting capacity.
Palace press officer Claire Castro on Monday, May 18, said De Leon is the youngest Cabinet member in history at 43 years old.
De Leon is expected to take his oath of office on Tuesday, May 19.
Toledo took over the department after former then Secretary Amenah Pangandaman stepped down at the height of the multibillion-peso flood control controversy.
Castro said De Leon has served the government on a number of concerns, including fiscal management, organizational reform, and digital transformation
He handled the DBM’s Organization and Systems Improvement Group and Information and Communications Technology Group.
He was also undersecretary for administration and finance at the Department of Transportation.
De Leon finished his degree in public administration as magna cum laude and valedictorian in the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance.
He also topped the 2016 Environmental Planning Licensure Examination, holds a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from UP and a Master of Public Safety Administration from the Philippine Public Safety College.
The Palace said De Leon also obtained a certificate in business process management from the Queensland University of Technology in 2021 under the Australia Awards scholarship program.
