New Public Works Secretary Commits to DPWH Budget Overhaul
MANILA, Philippines — Newly-appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon refrained from presenting the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget during the House of Representatives appropriations hearing. Instead, he pledged to follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to thoroughly revise and overhaul the DPWH budget for 2026.
During the House committee on appropriations’ session, Dizon emphasized the need to address numerous errors found in the proposed budget. He confirmed that together with Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, they will carefully review, amend, and if necessary, completely restructure the DPWH budget.
Secretary Dizon Explains Budget Challenges
“Secretary Mina (Pangandaman) and I will follow the directive of the President, that we need to revise, change, and if needed, ultimately change the budget submitted by DPWH. I will ask for help from you regarding that,” Dizon told the committee.
He added, “That’s why now, I am sorry, but I cannot make any presentation. Congressman Rufus Rodriguez is correct: we would just waste time if I will present a budget that will be changed […] that’s why I am asking for your understanding, I will not present, and I will ask for some time as this is not an easy task.”
Dizon admitted that despite his extensive government experience, he found the DPWH budget prepared by his predecessor, former Secretary Manuel Bonoan, difficult to comprehend due to its disorganized state.
“I would admit, I did not understand almost everything in the budget due to its state of disarray, even if I have been in government service for a long time,” he said. He acknowledged the department’s need for sweeping reforms and described the process as overwhelming and complex.
Lawmakers React to Budget Presentation Delay
With no budget presentation taking place, Cagayan de Oro’s 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez suggested excusing Secretary Dizon to focus on correcting the budget errors.
“Madam Chair, we could not proceed with a question and answer when there is no presentation of the budget […] I think the best way is that the Secretary is already studying it upon orders of the President to review what will be the basis of our questions when there is no budget presented?” Rodriguez remarked.
He further explained, “What is submitted in the NEP is not what the Secretary would want us to discuss, so there’s really — with that statement of the Secretary — let’s allow him, let’s allow the Secretary, and the team to be able to come out already with what they see as their initial findings of deficiencies, of errors, so that when we come, we have a new budget that is already corrected by the proper agency.”
Meanwhile, appropriations committee chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mikaela Suansing urged the continuation of hearings. She noted that members have access to the proposed 2026 National Expenditures Program (NEP) and the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF), which provide sufficient grounds for questioning the DPWH.
“Again, the position of the committee is that members have all been provided with a copy of the 2026 National Expenditures Program, and subsequently, the General Appropriations Bill of the committee on appropriations. And those two documents, as well as the BESF, would be enough as a basis that the members can leverage to field their questions to the DPWH,” Suansing said.
She agreed with Secretary Dizon’s assessment that presenting a flawed budget now would be academically moot given the extent of the planned overhaul.
House Leaders Recommend Budget Review Amid Project Anomalies
Just days earlier, party leaders in the House recommended to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez that the NEP be returned to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for revision. They flagged recurring issues, such as funding still allocated to completed projects within the DPWH and other agencies.
Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno disclosed that multiple items in the 2026 NEP included allocations for projects already finished. He cited Marikina Representative Marcelino Teodoro’s report that completed projects in his district continued to receive funding.
Puno also checked his own district, the first district of Antipolo, and found that projects previously proposed by the DPWH district and regional engineering offices were missing from the NEP.
President Marcos Demands Transparency in Infrastructure Spending
The call for budget transparency and scrutiny of infrastructure projects intensified after President Marcos strongly condemned officials and contractors allegedly involved in corrupt practices. These kickbacks reportedly worsened the plight of citizens suffering from severe flooding.
During his fourth State of the Nation Address, the President expressed outrage and stated that those responsible should be ashamed. Subsequently, he released a list of contractors and flood control projects identified as faulty or nonexistent.
For more news and updates on DPWH budget overhaul, visit Filipinokami.com.
