DPWH budget for 2025 jumps to P1.113 trillion

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) discovered its 2025 allocation had increased to P1.113 trillion, significantly higher than the P800-P900 billion proposed by both the House and Senate before the bicameral conference.

DPWH Planning Service Director Alex Bote stated that the department's knowledge of the proposed budget is limited to the executive branch's proposal and congressional hearings, with the agency only becoming aware of the additional insertions after the bicameral conference.

This discovery comes after a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that initially led the DPWH to reduce its proposed 2026 budget by over P250 billion, from P881.3 billion to P625.78 billion, by scrapping all locally funded flood control projects.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed that P15 billion remains for foreign-assisted flood control projects, such as the Pasig-Marikina Rehabilitation Project, which the government is obligated to complete.

Rep. Brian Poe highlighted that the DPWH still has P56.7 billion in unobligated funds from 2024 and P392.3 billion from 2025 that must be maximized.

Secretary Dizon confirmed that the DPWH is filing cases against erring officials and contractors, with one case involving 26 individuals already filed and investigations into over a hundred projects ongoing.

The DPWH's low disbursement rate was also a concern, with only 22 percent of funds released so far in 2025.