Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Sunday expressed gratitude to the public after she landed as the fourth most trusted Cabinet member under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in a recent survey.

On March 23, RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. released its national “Boses ng Bayan” survey in which Pangandaman earned a trust rating of 70 percent.

This figure is a 3-percent increase from the previous 67 percent trust rating she got in December last year.

Pangandaman’s job performance rating remains unchanged at 73 percent.

In a press release, Pangandaman said her “heart is full” by the trust and confidence given to her by Filipinos.

“Maraming salamat po. Wala po tayong ibang layunin kundi ang magsilbi at makatulong sa pagpapa-unlad ng buhay ng mga Pilipino (Thank you very much. We have no other goal but to serve and improve the lives of Filipinos),” Pangandaman said.

“This shall inspire me to work twice as hard to ensure that we are on track with our Agenda for Prosperity so that no Filipinos would be left behind in our economic transformation,” she added.

Pangandaman is the second woman to head the DBM and the only Muslim in the Marcos Cabinet.

Prior to her appointment to the DBM, she served as Assistant Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. She was also Budget Undersecretary during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. topped the list of Cabinet officials with an 85-percent performance rating and 90-percent trust rating.

Abalos’ ratings rose by 7 percent from his December 2022 ratings.

“I am very humbled by this approval rating. Rest assured that I will remain committed in doubling our efforts to reduce criminalities, initiating reforms and formulating policies in support of our local government units to give our kababayans a progressive, resilient, and effective community they can rely on,” Abalos said in a statement on Saturday.

He was followed by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco (77 percent approval rating, 75 percent trust rating), Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (75 percent approval, 70 percent trust rating), Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy (75 percent approval, 88 percent trust rating), Pangandaman (73 percent approval, 70 percent trust rating), and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo (71 percent approval, 67 percent trust ratings). (PNA)