By: Cali Demi
MANILA — Amid growing concerns over alleged budget irregularities, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is under pressure to complete a thorough review of its proposed 2026 spending plan within two weeks.
This urgent deadline was agreed upon during a meeting between Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and newly appointed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to revisit the agency’s budget. The order comes in response to reports highlighting potential inconsistencies and possible double entries of infrastructure projects in the National Expenditure Program.
At a press briefing held after their meeting at the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) headquarters in Manila (Wednesday), Secretary Dizon expressed support for the review, emphasizing the need for a meticulous audit given the scale of the DPWH’s operations. “The budget proposal is over 700 pages long and includes thousands of projects. As someone newly assigned to this role, I see this as a critical step to ensure accuracy and accountability,” he said.
Secretary Pangandaman underscored the importance of transparency and close cooperation between agencies during the review process. “This is not only about compliance but also about ensuring that every peso is justified, necessary, and aligned with our national development goals,” she said.
The DPWH remains one of the largest recipients of the government budget, primarily funding vital infrastructure projects nationwide. With the administration pushing forward its flagship “Build Better More” program, the outcome of this review could have significant implications for project approvals and funding allocation in 2026.
