Former Labor secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, overseas Filipino workers advocate Susan “Toots” Ople, and economist Arsenio Balisacan have accepted to be part of the Cabinet of incoming president Bongbong Marcos.
This was confirmed to reporters by Marcos’ chief of staff and spokesperson, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, on Monday afternoon.
The latest development put the confirmed members of Marcos’ Cabinet to seven, in addition to Rodriguez (Executive Secretary), Sara Duterte-Carpio (Education), Benhur Abalos (Interior and Local Government), and Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla (Justice).
Laguesma will lead the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), a position he once held from 1998 to 2001 under the Joseph Estrada administration.
A lawyer by profession, Laguesma was also a former commissioner of the Social Security System, an administrator of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board from 1987 to 1990, and served as Presidential Assistant from 1996 to 1998 in the Office of the President.
Ople will be the first Secretary of the newly established Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), who will lead the formation of its transition roadmap a year before it becomes operational.
She served as DoLE undersecretary during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
She is the youngest daughter of the late Senator Blas Ople, who served as Labor secretary during the administration of the late president Ferdinand Marcos for 17 years.
Balisacan likewise accepted the offer to be the Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Marcos said he personally picked Balisacan because he saw that they have the same propositions when it comes to how the Philippine government must confront the economic crisis, which was brought about by the global pandemic, for the next six years.
“I asked him to return to NEDA. I worked with him extensively during my time as governor. We have very similar thinking,” Marcos told reporters during a press conference at his campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
Balisacan previously served as secretary of socioeconomic planning and, concurrently, director-general of NEDA under the administration of the late president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino from 2012 to 2016.
Marcos recalled that he and Balisacan have “worked together extensively” when he was still governor of Ilocos Norte, a position he held from 1998 to 2007.
“I am confident, I know that he is very competent, I know that his policies are for the betterment of our country, for the employment, development of our economy,” he said.
Aside from NEDA, Balisacan headed other government agencies: Philippine Competition Commission, Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Philippine Center for Economic Development, and Public-Private Partnership Center.
Prior to his government stint, he was a professor and dean of the School of Economics of the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Balisacan was one of the key persons credited for the remarkable performance of the Philippine economy during the Aquino administration.
From 2010 to 2016, the average growth of the Philippine economy was recorded at 6.2 percent, the country’s fastest in 40 years.
Marcos also confirmed that he picked Remulla to be the next Secretary of the Department of Justice (DoJ).
“Many people do not know that he is actually a very, very good lawyer. So, I think he would fit very nicely into the DoJ,” he said.
Marcos asked the public to give him a “few more days” to formally announce potential members of his Cabinet, saying that each person forming part of it will be very much involved in the redevelopment and recovery of the Philippine economy.
