DPWH apologizes for 'insufficient data' amid 2026 budget 'deadlock'

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has issued an apology for submitting inadequate information to the Senate Committee on Finance during the bicameral deliberations on its proposed 2026 budget.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DPWH said it "acknowledges and sincerely apologizes for the insufficient initial data" concerning the application of the updated Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD).

"We acknowledge our oversight in providing only the Regional Adjustment Factors and fully agree that this limited information was inadequate for the Committee to accurately determine the specific, project-level adjustments for the nearly 10,000 affected projects," the Public Works Department said.

On Monday, the Senate postponed the third day of the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed 2026 national budget over a "deadlock" on the allocation of the DPWH.

This developed as Senate finance committee chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian stood firm that the upper chamber is against the use of overpriced construction materials for government infrastructure projects in 2026. 

The Senate earlier slashed the DPWH's proposed 2026 budget to P570.48 billion from P624.48 billion in the House of Representatives' version.

Over the weekend, the DPWH appealed to the Senate to restore amounts deducted from the agency's proposed 2026 budget due to reductions based on the CMPD.

Gatchalian said the adjustment on the prices of the materials was based on the CMPD the DPWH submitted to the Senate, which yielded reductions of around P45 billion in the agency's proposed budget.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Sunday defended the DPWH's bid to restore cuts to its 2026 budget. 

The Palace backed the DPWH's bid.

To address the Senate finance panel's concerns, the DPWH said it has submitted additional, project-category-based data that incorporates key variables such as hauling distances and localized market behaviors, resulting in a more realistic basis for funding.

"The DPWH is fully committed to transparency and to ensuring that all adjustments are made with technical integrity and operational feasibility," it said.

Dizon also said that the primary objective of the agency for 2026 is to lower the costs of materials being used for their projects.

“Ang objective talaga natin dito is iisa… Dapat mapababa natin, after so many years, ang mga presyo ng materyales ng mga proyekto sa DPWH, at yun ay common purpose ng Pangulo at ng kongreso,” he added.

(Our objective here is the same… After so many years, we must lower the price of materials in DPWH projects, and that is the common purpose of the President and the congress.)

In a message to reporters, Gatchalian acknowledged the DPWH’s submission of revised adjustment factors.

"Pinag-aaralan muna namin ito. Pag validated na, a-apply namin ito sa mga projects sa budget," the Senate finance panel chairman said.

(We will study this. When validated, we will be applying it to the projects in the budget.)

Dizon said the agency is not requesting the restoration of infrastructure projects that were removed from the proposed 2026 budget, adding that the cost of project materials will decrease.

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III echoed Gatchalian's remarks, saying the Senate would push for the reduced DPWH allocation under the 2026 national budget.

However, in a message to reporters following the DPWH’s submission of additional data, Sotto said, "At the moment my bicam panel will work around this." —with reports from Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/ VDV/ VAL, GMA Integrated News