DPWH chief Dizon attends budget bicam hearing 

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon is present at the second day of the budget bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026.

According to GMA Integrated News’ Saleema Refran, Dizon said that he was invited by Senate Finance Committee chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian. 

The DPWH on Saturday appealed to the Senate to restore amounts deducted from the agency’s proposed 2026 budget due to reductions based on the Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD).

When asked about the appeal by the department, Dizon said: “Hindi ko ibabalik yung cost nung dati. It will still be the same. This is all about implementation nung mga proyekto which I will discuss later.” 

(I will not restore the old cost. It will still be the same. This is all about the implementation of the projects, which I will discuss later.) 

To recall, the Senate earlier slashed the DPWH’s proposed 2026 budget to P570.48 billion from P624.48 billion in the House of Representatives’ version.

Gatchalian then explained that the major amendments included the use of adjustment factors, following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s directive to reduce the cost of construction materials for government projects.

Further, Gatchalian explained why he invited Dizon to the hearing. 

"Ito naman ay mayroong concurrence ng both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Talagang bihirang-bihira ang nagi-invite ng resource persons dahil ito ay pag-uusap ng dalawang kapulungan. Pero kung mayroong pong ganitong mga kakaibang sitwasyon at kailangan natin maintindihan nang mas malalim pa po yung issue, with the concurrence of both chambers, pwede naman tayo mag-invite," he said during the hearing. 

(This one, however, has the concurrence of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is truly very rare to invite resource persons because this is a discussion between the two chambers. But if there are unusual situations like this and we need to understand the issue more deeply, with the concurrence of both chambers, we can invite.) 

This was after Senator Erwin Tulfo questioned the invitation of a resource person in the deliberations. 

"I guess Mr. Chair, Madame Chair we have to review our rules, or in the future, Mr. Chair, this will happen again, then alam na po natin gagawin, there will be no more discussions in the future, ika nga bicameral conference between the two houses, because there is already an establishing rule kasi pwede naman tayo magpatawag, magpaliwana yung sa executive department," he said. 

(I guess, Mr. Chair, Madam Chair, we have to review our rules, or in the future, Mr. Chair, if this happens again, then we will already know what to do. There will be no more discussions in the future, as they say, in the bicameral conference between the two houses, because there is already an establishing rule since we can summon [or call] the executive department to explain.) 

Gatchalian responded that he understands that inviting resource persons to the bicameral meeting should not be done regularly. 

"Tama po kayo. Talagang hindi pwedeng maging regular ito na kung hindi tayo naga-agree, may third party na papasok. But in this case dahil technical ito, about engineering, about pricing, something na hindi natin expertise, in this very special circumstance...we will invite Secretary Dizon to explain this issue," he said. 

(You are correct. It really cannot become a regular practice that if we don't agree, a third party will come in. But in this case, because this is technical, about engineering, about pricing, something that is not our expertise, in this very special circumstance...we will invite Secretary Dizon to explain this issue.) 

The deliberations by the committee began on Saturday, which also marks the first time that it will be livestreamed online for transparency. This was after congressional inquiries revealed that funds inserted or introduced by lawmakers at the Bicam level funded questionable items, including alleged anomalous flood control projects. — BM, GMA Integrated News