Leviste releases 'Cabral files' on 2023-2026 DPWH allocations per region, district

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste on Thursday released a new set of documents supposedly provided to him by the late Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral that detailed the summary of allocations of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) per district, province, and region from 2023 to 2026.

Leviste released the documents – composed of more than 60 screenshots – on his Facebook page on Christmas Day. The allocations are worth more than P3.5 trillion, which Leviste said translated to P130,000 per Filipino family.

He explained that the documents he released the day before were the 2025 allocations of the DPWH per congressional district.

The previous day’s summary filed contained the “allocable” or the budget allocated to DPWH projects in certain districts, totalling to P401.3 billion, which supposedly ballooned to P1.041 trillion because of the “outside allocable.”

“Ito naman po ay 2023-2026. Ito po ay base sa datos na ibinigay ng DPWH, with the approval of Secretary Vince Dizon, kasama ng aming kompilasyon ng budget data,” Leviste said.

(This is for 2023 to 2026. This is based on the data given by the DPWH, with the approval of Secretary Vince Dizon, including our compilation of budget data.)

A check of the screenshots showed that from 2023 to 2026, the biggest allocation on a regional basis went to Region III (Central Luzon) with a total of P406.927 billion.

This was followed by Region IV-A (Calabarzon) with P341.876 billion, and Region V (Bicol Region) with P272.366 billion.

The National Capital Region (NCR) had an allocation of P231.412 billion.

The rest of the regions in order of largest to smallest allocation are as follows:

• Region VIII (Eastern Visayas): P214.351 billion
• Region X (Northern Mindanao): P214.112 billion
• Region IV-B (Mimaropa): P202.945 billion
• Region I (Ilocos Region): P188.69 billion
• Region II (Cagayan Valley): P178.356 billion
• Region VII (Central Visayas): P177.23 billion
• Region XI (Davao Region): P169.212 billion
• Region XIII (Caraga Region): P149.133 billion
• Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): P119.96 billion
• Region VI (Western Visayas): P111.802 billion
• Region XII (Soccksargen): P109.755 billion
• Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula): P93.947 billion
• Negros Island Region (NIR): P91.823 billion
• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): P28.489 billion

The screenshots released by Leviste also showed the biggest allocations per region from 2023 to 2026.

In Metro Manila, Taguig City’s 1st District received the biggest chunk at P18.433 billion, followed by Quezon City’s 4th District at P14.17 billion. Valenzuela’s 1st District came in third with P9.707 billion.

The other districts with the largest allocations from 2023 to 2026 are as follows:

• Region I: Ilocos Norte 1st District at P42.398 billion, La Union 2nd District at P23.458 billion, Ilocos Norte 2nd District at P18.18 billion
• CAR: Abra Lone District, at P41.66 billion, Benguet Lone District at P20.334 billion, Apayao Lone District at P15.444 billion
• Region II: Nueva Vizcaya Lone District at P27.864 billion, Isabela 4th District at P19.752 billion, Isabela 1st District at P18.34 billion
• Region III: Bulacan 3rd District at P33.071 billion, Zambales 2nd District at P33.002 billion, Tarlac 2nd District at P29.953 billion
• Region IV-A: Quezon 1st District at P26.017 billion, Quezon 2nd District at P21.399 billion, Batangas 4th District at P20.562 billion
• Region IV-B: Occidental Mindoro Lone District at P42.975 billion, Oriental Mindoro 1st District at P41.749 billion, Romblon Lone District at P34.461 billion
• Region V: Albay 2nd District at P44.103 billion, Sorsogon 4th District at P27.46 billion, Camarines Sur 5th District at P21.388 billion
• Region VI: Antique Lone District at P15.942 billion, Iloilo 3rd District at P13.221 billion, Iloilo 1st District, P9.799 billion
• NIR: Negros Oriental 2nd District at P14.972 billion, Negros Occidental 5th District at P9.222 billion, Bacolod City Lone District at P9.035 billion
• Region VII: Cebu 7th District at P32.874 billion, Bohol 3rd District at P19.836 billion, Cebu 1st District at P16.383 billion
• Region VIII: Leyte 1st District at P32.146 billion, Tacloban City (Leyte 1st District) at P31.394 billion, Eastern Samar Lone District at P22.459 billion
• Region IX: Zamboanga City 2nd District at P13.894 billion, Zamboanga Sibugay 2nd District at P11.493 billion, Zamboanga del Sur 1st District at P11.215 billion
• BARMM: Sulu 1st District at P5.822 billion, Lanao del Sur 2nd District at P4.779 billion, Sulu 2nd District at P4.758 billion
• Region X: Bukidnon 3rd District at P33.065 billion, Bukidnon 2nd District at P27.112 billion, Misamis Oriental 2nd District at P24.866 billion
• Region XI: Davao del Norte 2nd District at P23.195 billion, Davao de Oro 1st District at P21.19 billion, Davao del Sur Lone District at P19.904 billion
• Region XII: Sarangani Lone District at P15.827 billion, North Cotabato 2nd District at P14.056 billion, North Cotabato 3rd District at P12.081 billion
• Region XIII: Agusan del Norte 1st District at P28.719 billion, Agusan del Sur 1st District at P20.481 billion, Agusan del Sur 2nd District at P19.977 billion

Leviste said the uploaded screenshots on Thursday match the “FY2023-2025 GAA Summary.pdf” and “FY 2026 DPWH HGAB summary by DEO_LD.pdf” included in the same post.

The said files were provided by the DPWH as a response to the request during budget deliberations and files from the office of the late Cabral.

He added that the figures he released also included the proposed 2026 national budget, in particular the House General Appropriations Bill (GAB) – meaning it may be subject to changes depending on the Senate version and the version approved by the bicameral conference committee.

“Ang mga datos na ito ay capital outlays para sa local projects at hindi pa kasama ang Personnel Services, Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, at Foreign-Assisted Projects,” Leviste said.

(These data are capital outlays for local projects and does not include Personnel Services, Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, and Foreign-Assisted Projects.)

“Para sa mga nagkwekwestiyon: mas mabuting tanungin si Sec. Vince o ang DPWH para kumpirmahan itong P3.5T DPWH budget distribution figures. Kahit wala na po si yumaong USec Cabral, si Sec Vince at ang kanyang team ay makakasagot pa,” he added.

(For those questioning this list, it would be better to ask Sec Vince or DPWH to confirm this P3.5 trillion DPWH budget distribution figures. Even if Usec. Cabral has passed away, Sec Vince and his team can answer these questions.) — JMA, GMA Integrated News