Leviste: PH’s most populous regions only received 25% of DPWH budget

Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste flagged the disparity in the Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) allocated budget for the country's most populous regions, noting that less populated regions received larger allocations.

In his analysis of the 2026 DPWH budget in the National Expenditure Program shared on social media, Leviste said the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has P17.00 billion in allocations, while Western Visayas has P16.37 billion.

This is the case despite CAR having a population of 1.81 million, while Western Visayas has 4.86 million.

Leviste also pointed out that Central Luzon, CALABARZON, the National Capital Region, and Pangasinan make up almost 41% of the country’s population and contribute 60% of its economy, but received only about 25% of the DPWH budget.

“Given the smaller DPWH budget for certain regions compared to their much bigger contribution to national taxes, they would be better off if the DPWH budget were instead given to local governments equitably through the National Tax Allotment, which is based on a formula 50% population, 25% land area, and 25% equal sharing,” Leviste said.

The lawmaker had said the DPWH often allocates budgets not based on need but on where projects can be less visible and made substandard to increase profit margins.

Leviste added the favored regions tend to change from year to year but are consistently based on profit over need.

Citing the 2025 DPWH budget, Leviste pointed out that the P30 billion in funds, mostly for flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro, could have instead been spent on housing or classrooms for the province.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon earlier failed to locate at least three flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro that were listed in the 2024 national budget.

“The reason there’s a classroom shortage is because there are almost no kickbacks in classrooms. It is easier to do substandard work on the thickness of an asphalt project than on a three-story classroom building,” Leviste said.

He pointed out that corruption has incentivized projects like flood control to be prioritized over classrooms. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News