Quimbo points to bicam as source of P289-B insertions in DPWH’s 2025 budget 

Marikina 2nd district Representative Miro Quimbo on Wednesday pointed to the bicameral conference committee for the P289 billion insertions to the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2025.

Quimbo noted that the DPWH’s budget suddenly bloated from P825 billion to P1.113 trillion right after the bicam approved the General Appropriations Bill for this year. 

“Matapos pong pumunta sa Senado at pumunta sa bicam, tama po ba, pag-alis sa amin sa House of [Representatives] P825 billion, pero nung inapprove after ng Senate at bicam, ang naging budget ay P1.113 trillion. Correct? Yes or no? Tumaas ang budget ninyo ng almost P289 billion. Tama? Nangyari ‘yan sa bicam? Tama?” the lawmaker asked the DPWH’s officials during the House Committee on Appropriations’ hearing on the agency’s proposed budget for 2026. 

(After it went to the Senate and went to the bicam, when it left the House of Representatives, it was P825 billion. But when it was approved after the Senate and the bicam, the budget became P1.113 trillion. Correct? Yes or no? Your budget increased by almost P289 billion. Is that right? Did that happen in the bicam? Is that right?)

In response, DPWH Undersecretary Alex Bote said: “That’s on record.” 

“That’s on the record, ang malinaw dito, ang insertions o ang paglobo o pagsingit nangyari sa bicam, hindi sa small committee dito sa House,” said Quimbo.

(That’s on the record, what's clear here is that the insertions, or the bloating or the squeezing in, happened in the bicam, not in the small committee here in the House of Representatives.) 

Further, the Marikina lawmaker asked the DPWH if it is open to the idea of publicizing all the amendments to the department’s proposed budget for next year. 

“Pwede bang lahat ng pagbabago diyan i-identify at isapubliko, okay ba kayo doon?” Quimbo asked DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon. 

(Can all the changes there be identified and made public? Are you okay with that?)

Dizon replied, “Tingin ko magandang idea po ‘yun.” 

(I think that's a good idea.) 

Quimbo also encouraged the DPWH not to be afraid of identifying anyone who is pushing for amendments to their budget for the sake of transparency. 

“Dapat isapubliko ‘yan. Kasi masyado nang maraming tinatamaan na hindi dapat tinatamaan,” he said. 

(That should be made public. Because too many people who shouldn’t be affected are being affected.) 

“In fairness, we need to isolate where the leaks are and who is responsible. Wag po kayong matakot, magagaling kayo diyan, masisipag kayo. Mas ikabubuti ng DPWH na kapag may nagtutulak ng pagbabago, may gustong magpalaki, gustong magdagdag, ilagay niyo ang pangalan, at para sila makipaglaban at ipagtanggol nila ang insertion na ‘yun,” he added. 

(In fairness, we need to isolate where the leaks are and who is responsible. Don't be afraid, you're good at what you do, you're hardworking. It would be better for the DPWH that when someone pushes for a change, wants to increase or add something, you put their name on it so they can fight and defend that insertion.) 

For her part, House Appropriations panel chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing said that the “small committee” deliberating on institutional amendments was already replaced by a budget amendments review sub-committee. 

“Inabolish na natin yung small committee na nagde-deliberate ng institutional amendments. Ngayon po mayroon na tayong budget amendments review sub-committee. Lahat po ‘yun transparent na, lahat makikita na po ang mga dinideliberate na mga amendments at lahat po ng babaguhin,” she said. 

(We have now abolished the small committee that was deliberating on institutional amendments. Now we have a budget amendments review sub-committee. All of that is now transparent; everyone will be able to see the amendments being deliberated and all the changes that will be made.) 

DPWH’s original proposed budget for 2026 was over P881 billion, but it was reduced to over P625 billion after a review, removing around P255 billion. 

Dizon earlier said that he scrapped all locally funded flood control projects and addressed the issues raised in the initial version of the budget, such as the funding of completed and duplicate projects.

Dizon also said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recommended that Congress transfer the P255 saved budget to programs and projects in the agriculture, education, health care, housing, labor, social welfare, and information technology sectors.—LDF, GMA Integrated News