Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon said he is open to reducing the agency’s proposed ₱881.3-billion budget for 2026, promising to review and correct questionable items flagged by lawmakers.
Speaking ahead of the DPWH’s budget hearing before the House appropriations committee, Dizon said President Marcos ordered him to conduct a thorough review of the National Expenditure Program. “If we need to change the entire DPWH budget, I will do it and tell Congress,” he said, asking for a week to finalize corrections. Lawmakers had flagged duplicate allocations, funding for completed projects, and neglected flood control initiatives.
The DPWH has also withheld payments to contractors Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction Trading pending resolution of anomalies. Dizon said contractors must finish ongoing projects but will be held accountable for “ghost” or substandard works. Completed but fake projects, he stressed, will be charged back to the contractors.
Meanwhile, former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara was dismissed from service and faces criminal charges after being found guilty of approving payments for nonexistent flood control projects in Bulacan. His co-officials, including assistant engineer Bryce Ericson Hernandez and section chief Jaypee Mendoza, are also under investigation.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian warned that the Senate may cut ₱270 billion worth of DPWH’s flood control budget if anomalies remain uncorrected. He cited duplications, vague project descriptions, and repeat funding as “red flags” that could lead to ghost projects. Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing also urged Congress to ensure flood control funding is strictly allocated to high-risk areas identified by Project NOAH’s hazard maps.