Dizon not bothered by DPWH budget cuts, to focus on proper implementation of funds

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday welcomed the Bicameral Conference Committee’s (bicam) approval of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) P529.6-billion budget for 2026, despite further reductions following extensive deliberations by the panel.

“Okay lang ‘yon kasi naniniwala ako, naniniwala ang Pangulo, at naniniwala din ang Kongreso na ang importante sa budget ay malinis siya at ma-implement siya nang tama,” Dizon said at a press conference in Manila.

(That's okay because I believe, the President believes, and Congress also believes that what's important about the budget is that it be clean and that it be implemented correctly.)

“Ang budget per se ay hindi masama. Ang masama kapag ang mga proyekto sa budget ginawang ghost, ginawang substandard, pinagkakitaan lang ‘yun ang masama,” he said.

(The budget per se is not bad. What is bad is when the projects in the budget are ghosted or made substandard just for profit; that is bad.)

The bicam on early Thursday morning approved the DPWH’s budget for next year with reductions amounting to P20.7 billion which resulted from the application of the Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD) provided by Dizon on around 10,000 projects.

The amount was lower than the Senate-approved P570.48 billion as well as the House of Representatives’ General Appropriations Bill version of P624.48 billion.

House Committee on Appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing said that the bicam was able to substantially decrease the DPWH budget by over P300 billion from the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) or by P94 billion from the House-approved General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

Under the National Expenditure Program, the DPWH originally proposed an P881.31-billion budget next year but was further slashed after the removal of locally funded flood control projects in light of the revelations of substandard or ghost projects.

Of the P20.7-billion savings, the bicam realigned P16.52 billion to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), while P4.25 billion was transferred to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.

“We will make do with what the Senate and the House have approved… Gagamitin natin nang tama ang budget na pinagkaloob sa amin ng Kongreso,” Dizon said.

(We will use the budget provided to us by Congress correctly.)

“Kahit na bumaba ‘yan… ‘yang budget na ‘yan ay mapupunta lahat sa mga kababayan natin para sa mga tamang project na makakatulong sa kanila,” he said.

(Even if it was lessened... that budget will all go to our countrymen for the right projects that will help them.)

The DPWH chief said the agency will apply the new construction materials price data on all the projects approved by Congress.

“I-uupload ‘yan sa transparency portal come January,” Dizon said.

(That will be uploaded to the transparency portal come January.)

Nonetheless, the Public Works chief said the DPWH may use its savings if the agency’s approved budget turns out to be insufficient to fund its projects.

“Kung kulangan marami namang pwedeng gawin… Kung may savings pwedeng gamitin ‘yun kung may mga proyekto na kukulangin [ang budget],” he said.

(If there is a shortage, there are many things that can be done… If there are savings, they can be used if there are projects that are short in budget.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News