DPWH's Dizon asks House to extend deadline for revised 2026 budget submission

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon has asked the House of Representatives to extend the deadline for the submission of the agency's revised proposed budget for 2026.

In his letter dated September 9 addressed to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and House appropriations panel chairperson Mikaela Suansing, Dizon said the deadline was initially set for September 12, 2025, Friday.

"Considering the volume of items and documents requiring review, together with other matters that must likewise be addressed by the department, it is respectfully requested that the deadline for the submission of the revised budget programs be extended to 15 September 2025 (Monday)," Dizon said.

He added the extension will allow the DPWH to exercise greater diligence and prudence in reviewing the National Expenditure Program. 

During the House appropriations panel deliberations on the proposed P221 billion budget for Department of Social Welfare and Development for 2026, Aurora Rep. Rommel Angara made a motion granting the DPWH chief's request.

The committee approved the motion and moved the scheduled budget hearing of the DPWH from September 16 to 17.

Last week, the House leadership moved for the return of the proposed P6.7-trillion budget for 2026 to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) over erroneous entries.

The move did not push through after Dizon and DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman committed to a two-week timeline to review the proposed P880-billion budget of DPWH.

House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno earlier flagged hundreds of millions of multi-year infrastructure projects, including flood control projects, which are unfunded under the P880 billion proposed budget DPWH in 2026.

Aside from these, Puno also said that completed projects remain funded under the proposed DPWH budget.

Suansing, for her part, said there are multi-year projects, as much as in nine phases, all funded under the 2026 budget instead of being funded annually. —AOL, GMA Integrated News