Corazon Aquino:

“Thus, we have decentralized the operations of the 16 major government departments, and
increased private sector representation in regional and local development councils to one-
fourth. Budgets are now released directly to local governments and budget priorities are now
determined in the first instance on the provincial level. An increase of revenue allotments and
repeal of mandatory contributions by local units to the national government will place more
resources at the disposal of the local governments.” (SONA, July 25, 1988)

Fidel Ramos:
“I would urge Congress therefore to consider one comprehensive “Government Reorganization
Act” that will enable us to streamline the entire executive branch, including the Office of the
President.
Our goal here is to promote speed in decision making and action that yields quality results; and
to increase effectiveness and impact in government operations despite funding constraints.
We envision the following as integral parts of this reorganization program: (1) implementation
of the law on attrition; (2) realignment of agency mandates by abolishing nonessential
functions including vacant positions; (3) integration of all attaches and offices abroad; and (4)
reduction of the number of departments and agencies.” (SONA, July 27, 1992)

Joseph Ejercito Estrada:

“Pakikiusapan ko ang Kongreso na bigyan ako ng kapangyarihan para reorganisahin ang
gobyerno upang ito ay maging matipid at masinop. The aim is not to change officials but to
rationalize government operations. We are a small country, we should only have a small
government. Not only on the national but also on the local level.” (SONA, July 27, 1998)

“In fact, we will streamline the entire government, enhance the quality of government service,
and increase the efficiency by which basic services are delivered. In this connection, I call on
Congress to pass the bill re-engineering the bureaucracy.” (SONA, July 24, 2000)

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo:

“We will simplify procedures to eliminate fixers.
We will downsize the government, motivate excess employees to become entrepreneurs, and
increase the pay of a lean and mean bureaucracy.
I have abolished 80 offices under the Office of the President. I will abolish 30 more.
I ask Congress to pass a law on government reengineering, with silver parachutes for redundant
offices.
Once we have proved to our people that we have done what we can within the present
structure of government, we can move on to changing the system to one that enhances our
freedom and flexibility to do more.” (SONA, July 26, 2004)

Benigno Aquino III:

“We continued to reform our institutions, in order to refocus them towards their true
mandates. For example: Government Owned and Controlled Corporations. Appointees to
GOCCs swore to safeguard our people’s money...
Under our administration: the number of GOCCs has already been reduced by shutting down
those deemed irrelevant, and yet because of improved management: the dividends we have
collected in the five years we have been in office have now reached P131.86 billion. It isn’t
unlikely that, before we step down from office, we will be able to double the dividends
collected by our predecessor who had much more time to accumulate these funds.” (SONA, July
27, 2015)