Aquino has gathered together old and new faces as members of his Cabinet who, he said, have all

committed to help him solve the countrys woes as he embarks on his six-year tenure in Malacaang. You will see old and new faces, the young and also young, but the bottomline is these are the people, who I believe have committed (to solve the problems of the country), he said in a news conference a day before his inauguration. Aquino said the officials he chose to be members of his Cabinet believes that the problems of this country are solvable and not intractable and that what they would do in their respective departments can deliver to the people the changes they are aspiring for. Aquino also announced he would concurrently serve as Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government until he has found a person suitable for the post. He also said he has yet to appoint a head for the Bureau of Customs and a National Security Adviser. Aquino said he intends to form a group that will handle the communications needs of his administration. The members of Aquinos Cabinet are: 1. Paquito Ochoa Jr., Executive Secretary 2. Alberto Romulo, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs 3. Cesar Purisima, Secretary of Department of Finance 4. Leila de Lima, Secretary of Department of Justice 5. Voltaire Gazmin, Secretary of Department of National Defense 6. Bro. Armin Luistro, Secretary of Department of Education 7. Florencio Abad, Secretary of Department of Budget and Management 8. Cayetano Paderanga Jr., Secretary of National Economic Development Authority 9. Proceso Alcala, Secretary of Department of Agriculture 10. Ramon Paje, Secretary of Department Environment and Natural Resources 11. Jose "Ping" de Jesus, Secretary of Department of Transportations and Communications. 12. Rosalinda Baldoz, Secretary of Department of Labor and Employment

13. Enrique Ona, Secretary of Department of Health 14. Alberto Lim, Secretary of Department of Tourism 15. Gregory Domingo, Secretary of Department of Trade and Industry 16. Corazon Soliman, Secretary of Department of Social Welfare and Development 17. Mario Montejo, Secretary of Department of Science and Technology 18. Jose Rene Almendras, Secretary of Department of Energy 19. Rogelio Singson, Secretary of Department of Public Works and Highways 20. Virgilio de los Reyes, Secretary of Department of Agrarian Reform 21. Teresita Deles, presidential adviser on peace process 22. Julia Abad, presidential management staff chief 23. Edwin Lacierda, presidential spokesman 24. Eduardo de Mesa, presidential legal counsel 25. Patricia Liguanan, Chairman of Commission on Higher Education 26. Kim Jacinto-Henares, Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue 27. Benigno Aquino III, Secretary of Department of Interior and Local Government Calling Ochoa as the guardian of my path, Aquino said his Executive Secretary will closely help him run the executive branch. Hes been helping me out understand the intricacies of the law. . . . Im very confident on his role as the guardian of my path, he said. In appointing Abad, whom he calls his mentor, Aquino said he hopes the countrys budget would be in good hands, noting that budget is the enabler of all policy decisions. As budget chief, he said Abad will judiciously spend the peoples fund. Abad is among the old faces in the Cabinet having served as Agrarian Reform Secretary during the administration of Aquinos mother, the late Corazon Aquino.

Abads daughter, Julia, will get a new post as Aquinos presidential management staff chief. Julia Abad served as Aquinos chief of staff in the Senate. She has my absolute trust, he said. This early, Aquino said being at the helm of the Department of Justice will not be an easy task for De Lima, chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights under the Arroyo administration. In this country, justice is an aspiration rather than reality, he said, adding that De Lima will have to work hard to make faster the adjudication period than the six-year average. Among the old faces in the Cabinet are Romulo, who was also President Gloria MacapagalArroyos Foreign Affairs Secretary; Paderanga, who was also socioeconomic planning chief during Corazon Aquinos administration; Purisima, Arroyos Finance Secretary; Soliman, Arroyos Social Welfare head; Deles, Arroyos peace adviser; De Jesus, Public Works Secretary during Corazon Aquinos term; and Gazmin, his mothers Presidential Security Group chief.