President Marcos grants ad interim appointments to 10 Cabinet secretaries

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administered the oath of office to 10 Cabinet officials who received ad interim appointments during a ceremony at Malacañang Palace on Friday, Nov. 6.

The officials who took their oaths were Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, Budget Secretary Kim Robert De Leon, Public Works Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, Health Secretary Edwin Mercado, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna, Tourism Secretary Maria Bernardita Angara-Mathay, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, and Philippine Space Agency Director General Gay Jane Perez.

According to a Philippine News Agency report, Recto said the appointments remain subject to confirmation by the Commission on Appointments (CA), adding that the required documents had already been submitted to the body.

Most of the officials had been serving in an acting capacity before receiving their ad interim appointments.

The latest appointments come as Marcos continues to reorganize his Cabinet, including the recent transfer of Dizon to the Department of Transportation and Lopez to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

During the ceremony, Marcos described his Cabinet as the "best team ever assembled" since the time of his father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

The Presidential Communications Office said the President directed agency heads to sustain gains, address long-standing concerns and ensure the effective implementation of priority government programs.

Marcos also emphasized keeping basic goods affordable, improving transportation services and protecting workers' rights through the proper enforcement of labor laws and employee benefits. Paraluman News with a report of Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos/Philippine News Agency