Lacson questions DPWH budget realignment

Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regarding a perceived pattern of budget increases for local infrastructure projects at the expense of national projects in their proposed 2021 budget.

Lacson noted that the DPWH's latest budget submission significantly differed from the initial National Expenditure Program (NEP) approved by the Department of Budget and Management, describing it as "mangled" and beyond recognition.

He observed that while allocations for national projects, including those under the "Build, Build, Build" program, were reduced, funding for local projects, such as multi-purpose buildings, saw substantial increases, reaching approximately P67 billion.

The senator specifically questioned how the allocation for multi-purpose buildings aligns with the national budget's theme of "Reset, Rebound, Recover," suggesting they were "choice projects" of lawmakers.

Lacson's comparison of the NEP and the DPWH's final submission revealed significant decreases in funding for network development, general administration and support, asset preservation, the bridge program, and flood management.

DPWH Secretary Villar explained that the delay in budget submission was due to the budget ceiling being provided by the DBM only a day before the printing deadline.