DOST chief highest paid Cabinet member in 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. took home the biggest paycheck among the Cabinet members of President Marcos in 2025, earning a total pay of P6.66 million, according to a report of the Commission on Audit.

Based on the COA’s 2025 Report on Salaries and Allowances, Solidum’s net pay for 2025 was P281,000 higher than his paycheck in 2024 amounting to P6.38 million. It was also higher than his net pay of P6.06 million in 2023.

Solidum’s net pay for 2025 included P3.51 million in basic salary as Department of Science and Technology (DOST) secretary for 12 months; P1.623 million in allowances; P1.093 million in bonus, incentives and benefits; P264,000 in discretionary and extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses; P24,000 in additional compensation and honorarium, and P137,119.55 from “prior years’ adjustment.”

Solidum’s pay all came from his post as DOST secretary as the audit breakdown showed he received no compensation for sitting as board member of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippine Coconut Authority, the National Dairy Authority, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, and the Philippine Science High School System.

The second top earner in the Cabinet was former justice secretary and now Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, with a net pay of P5.97 million.

His net pay for 2025 included P2.93 million in basic salary as DOJ chief for the first 10 months that year. He did not receive any basic salary when he became the ombudsman in October, although he received P1.269 million in allowances; P659,716 in bonus, incentives and benefits, totaling to P1.929 million in earnings as ombudsman.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma took the third spot of top-earners with P5.96 million net pay, followed by Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian with P5.49 million.

Taking fifth place is TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez with a net pay of P5.378 million, followed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel at P5.202 million.

Rounding out the top 10 earners were Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa with a net pay of P5.163 million; Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III with P5.147 million; Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro with P4.98 million, and then National Security Adviser Eduardo Año with P4.971 million.