DPWH Sec. Dizon appeals for P45B budget restoration amid Senate cuts

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon is appealing to the bicameral conference committee to restore P45 billion to the DPWH's 2026 budget, which was reduced by the Senate.

Dizon explained that the Senate's budget reduction was based on flawed assumptions due to insufficient initial data regarding revised construction materials price data (CMPD).

The DPWH has since apologized for the insufficient initial data and submitted additional, project-category-based data to the Senate Committee on Finance.

The agency acknowledged that providing only Regional Adjustment Factors was inadequate for the committee to decide on adjustments for nearly 10,000 projects.

This led to a deadlock over the DPWH's P45-billion budget cut, prompting Senate Committee on Finance chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to call for a postponement of the bicameral meeting.

The DPWH secretary warned that approximately 10,000 projects are at risk of being scaled down or not fully implemented if the P45 billion is not restored.

Malacañang backed the DPWH's bid, with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. aware of the appeal.

Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian had previously indicated budget cuts were due to issues with flood control projects, unutilized funds, and measures to prevent ghost projects.