DPWH validates 798 out of flagged 946 'reappearing' projects

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said Monday that majority of the flagged 946 projects supposedly found to be reappearing from the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) were already validated.

During the continuation of the deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways, Dizon said they have already justified 798 out of the 946 supposed reappearing items, amounting to P11.656 billion.

“Pinababa namin ang mga proyektong ‘to based on geotag locations and pina-validate po natin kung ito bang mga proyektong ‘to ay completed na ba. Because I think that was the fear nating lahat na since kapareho nung 2025 at merong bagong pondo, parang doble-doble, umuulit,” Dizon said.

(We checked these projects based on geotag locations and we validated whether these projects have been completed. Because I think that was the fear of all of us since these projects were already included in 2025 and they will be funded again next year. They seem to be doubling or reappearing.)

“And then kukuhanan ng litrato, ng dated, tagged photos para makita na unang una sa sarili nating mata na hindi pa tapos ‘yung proyekto at merong continuation,” he added.

(We took photos of the projects to see with our own eyes that these projects are not yet finished and that there is continuation.)

‘Red flags’

Last Monday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian disclosed the committee findings that over 6,000 projects worth more than P271 billion suffered from "red flags" such as: having no station number; being duplicate projects; having multiple phases; or being reappearing projects from the 2025 GAA to the 2026 NEP.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, then gave the DPWH a week to validate the findings, noting that as much as P348 billion may again be cut from the proposed 2026 budget of the agency if the flagged items were not justified.

Dizon said that the DPWH already changed the nomenclature of such entries to identify whether they are projects still under continuation or for completion.

He showed samples of the geotagged photos of some projects during the budget hearing.

“So dinefine na po ito. I don't know kung anong nangyari dito, I don’t know if it’s just a question of laziness or kinat and paste lang ‘yung previous submission. But clearly based on the picture and the straight line diagram, this is a continuation of an ongoing project, of an ongoing road,” the DPWH chief explained.

(This has already been defined. I don't know what happened here, I don't know if it's just a question of laziness or was only cut and paste from the previous submission. But clearly based on the picture and the straight line diagram, this is a continuation of an ongoing road project.)

Asked by Gatchalian if the DPWH found any items that doubled or projects that were completed but reappeared in the 2026 NEP, Dizon said that there were none so far.

‘Lack of time’

Out of the 946 “reappearing” projects flagged by Gatchalian, the DPWH has not yet validated 148 projects, amounting to over P2.7 billion, due to lack of time.

“Dito po sa 798, wala pong nakita. Lahat po ‘yun ay na-validate given the submissions. Do’n sa remaining 148, hindi po natin alam. That’s why, Mr. Chairman, ako I will put it on the record, if the committee will not grant us any more time, please feel free to just remove that,” Dizon answered.

(We found nothing in the 798 projects. All of those were validated given the submissions. As for the remaining 148, we don't know. That's why, Mr. Chairman, I will put it on the record, if the committee will not grant us any more time, please feel free to remove the allocation for those projects.)

Gatchalian gave the DPWH until Friday, October 31, to validate the remaining 148 flagged projects.

To recall, the DPWH initially proposed an P881.31 billion budget under the 2026 NEP, but this was reduced to P625.78 billion after the removal of locally funded flood control projects amid the revelations of substandard or ghost projects. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News