President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos honor the country’s most outstanding choirs in a ceremony titled Gintong Parangal: Honoring the Champion Choirs of 2024 at Malacañan Palace on November 24, 2024. Yummie Dingding, PPA pool/File

(UPDATED) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday called for the courtesy resignation of about 30 Cabinet secretaries in a "bold reset" following his party's less than total victory in recent midterm elections.

“It’s time to realign government with the people’s expectations. This is not business as usual,” the President said.

“The people have spoken, and they expect results—not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act.”

The midterm polls held last week were seen as a referendum on the current administration, and only 6 out of 11 Marcos-endorsed candidates secured a Senate seat.

The President earlier said the results of the elections showed that the public wanted an end to politicking and was “disappointed” with the service provided by government.

“Ang mensahe sa aming lahat, hindi lamang sa akin, kung hindi sa aming lahat: ‘Tama na ang pamumulitika ninyo at kami naman ang asikasuhin ninyo,’” he said.

“Ang pangalawa, disappointed ang tao sa serbisyo ng gobyerno. Hindi nila nararamdaman at masyadong mabagal ang pagbubuo ng mga project na hindi pa nila maramdaman,” he added.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Education Secretary Sonny Angara and Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said they have submitted their courtesy resignation.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda, and MMDA Chairman Romando Artes also said they would comply with the President's order.

The "bold reset" of the Cabinet was aimed at giving Marcos room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine which officials "will continue to serve in line with his administration's recalibrated priorities", the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.

“This is not about personalities—it’s about performance, alignment, and urgency,” the President added.

“Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognized. But we cannot afford to be complacent. The time for comfort zones is over.”

The President said that while many officials have served with dedication and professionalism, the evolving needs of the country required a renewed alignment, faster execution, and a results-first mindset.

The Palace added that government services would not be interrupted during the transition, and stability and meritocracy would guide the selection of his new executive team.

— With a report from Agence France-Presse