APALIT, Pampanga — Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Friday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Public Works and Highways to finish all pending infrastructure projects nationwide within 2026 to ensure clearer priorities and more efficient use of government resources.
Dizon said the DPWH is dealing with a significant backlog of unfinished projects across multiple regions. He said officials are still consolidating a complete inventory of these projects, which has delayed the setting of individual completion timelines.
He explained that the backlog includes various types of infrastructure under the DPWH portfolio and spans several parts of the country. The department intends to use the finalized inventory as the basis for scheduling construction activities and allocating funds.
Dizon said the President’s directive covers all ongoing and stalled DPWH projects and aims to prevent prolonged delays or idle public works.
He said the DPWH will coordinate with regional and district engineering offices to validate the status of each project. Field offices will submit reports detailing physical progress, remaining work, and funding requirements.
The department will use these reports to determine which projects need immediate attention and which may proceed in phases over a longer period. Officials will also assess implementation bottlenecks, including right-of-way concerns, contractor performance, and permit processing.
Dizon said the DPWH will recommend corrective measures to address obstacles that could hinder timely completion and will align its strategy with the national government’s medium-term infrastructure agenda.
He noted that the DPWH’s approved 2026 budget stands at ₱529.6 billion, lower than the ₱881 billion initially proposed. The reduced allocation will require stricter prioritization and sequencing of projects based on urgency and impact.
Dizon said projects lacking sufficient funding in 2026 may face rescheduling or phased implementation, subject to future budget approvals. Coordination with the Department of Budget and Management and local government units will continue for high-priority projects.
He said the DPWH will release additional details on the number, type, and location of pending projects once the inventory and validation process is complete and will issue further guidelines to regional and district offices on carrying out the President’s directive.
