DPWH Part 1

Proposed budget and principal programs: The FY2027 DPWH NEP allocation was PHP 643.95 billion, roughly 20% higher, with about PHP 200 billion for national roads and bridges and PHP 118 billion for foreign-assisted projects. Locally funded flood mitigation, omitted in 2026, would return at PHP 83.84 billion; about PHP 19 billion in ongoing foreign-assisted flood projects was included in the foreign-assisted total. Basic infrastructure included PHP 105 billion for access roads and bridges, PHP 40.97 billion for multipurpose buildings, PHP 1.38 billion for coastal roads and PHP 419 million for local ports. DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon also identified PHP 510 million for facilities for persons with disabilities and older people, PHP 1 billion in quick-response funding, PHP 7.29 billion for water supply, and PHP 27.3 billion for right of way.

Project readiness, geotagging and signed accountability: Dizon said DPWH had dropped the previous parametric allocation formula in favor of completing unfinished projects, maintaining critical infrastructure and addressing immediate community needs. Proposed projects now required approved programs of work, on-site geotagged photographs, DBM compliance forms and signed certificates of implementability. Implementing offices had to certify right-of-way readiness, specific locations and absence of duplicate funding; continuing projects had to be identified as such. Dizon contrasted this with past submissions containing only titles and costs, and promised to publish supporting documents so Congress and the public could scrutinize them. Projects also needed a planning basis and coordination with development councils or, at minimum, LGU certificates of no objection.

Fewer projects and revised regional allocations: Dizon described consolidating local projects under the Basic Infrastructure Program and removing separate convergence programs. Tourism, trade and other departments would hold their own priority infrastructure funds, with transfers and agreements if DPWH implemented the work. DPWH also sought to eliminate duplicates and overlapping projects, focus on larger projects and bring workloads closer to implementing offices' capacity; DBM had directed removal of Basic Infrastructure Program projects below PHP 5 million, subject to Congress's consideration. Dizon put the proposed geographic shares at roughly 52% for Luzon, 20% for Visayas and 28% for Mindanao, compared with ten-year averages of 56%, 17% and 27%. He highlighted higher allocations for poorer regions but said the distribution remained imperfect and invited congressional adjustment.

Flood mitigation grounded in plans and completed systems: Dizon emphasized flood mitigation rather than a promise to control all flooding. He acknowledged that many river-basin and drainage master plans were absent, unfinished or outdated, and sought more funding for studies and design. Priorities included closing gaps in unfinished defenses, approved designs, integrated water-resource management, coordination with local governments and actual on-site geotagging. Detention basins and dams could also store water for irrigation and supply. Investigations and COA clearance requirements complicated repairs to implicated projects, for which he sought congressional help. He cited alignment with plans in Quezon City, Metro Cebu and Iligan and continuing foreign-assisted projects, including Pasig-Marikina, ADB-supported river-basin projects and the JICA-supported Cavite project. Claims of reduced flooding in particular areas were his reported observations, not a claim that national flood risk had been eliminated.

Delayed procurement and the September award target: Dizon acknowledged serious 2026 procurement delays. He attributed them to the absence of early procurement after the budget overhaul, roughly PHP 460 billion in capital outlay being placed for later release, allotment releases arriving in late May and June, and stricter requirements for complete plans before bidding. As of August 23, 15,032 of 17,764 projects had been advertised, representing about PHP 349.5 billion or 76% of the capital-outlay value. Awards covered 7,467 projects worth PHP 146.1 billion, about 32% by value. He aimed to have at least 80% awarded by the end of September for starts in the fourth quarter, offered updated figures, and acknowledged that disbursements would remain low despite catch-up efforts.

Repairing roads and aging bridges before they fail: Dizon sought funding to repair road slips and collapses occurring without a calamity, when quick-response funds could not be used. He cited a savings-funded repair that reopened Buda Road in less than two months and argued that isolated communities could not wait another budget year. He also called for drainage and safety barriers omitted from past roads. Many bridges were 40 to 50 years old or older and needed replacement or retrofitting; overloaded trucks compounded the risks. Savings and augmentation had enabled urgent bridge work, but he said these could not meet recurring nationwide needs.

Dredging, safer crossings and unfinished public buildings: Dizon described savings-funded flood repairs and renewed river dredging and desilting after years of accumulated sediment. He reported anecdotal improvements in places including Tuguegarao and Maguindanao, while stressing the need to expand the work. He also sought a program to replace makeshift community crossings used by students with durable bridges. Finally, he prioritized finishing existing national and local public buildings, including schools, hospitals and multipurpose facilities, and asked Congress to help determine which unfinished projects should come first.

Original request and project selection: Part 1 stated no department-wide original FY 2027 request to DBM. Dizon described transfers of convergence programs to their lead departments, removal of small or duplicate projects and regional redistribution within the proposed allocation. These changes do not establish a net increase above the NEP amount presented earlier.

Possible additions for omitted and ongoing projects: Rep. Tobias "Toby" M. Tiangco asked how needed flood-control sites absent from the NEP could be funded and urged DPWH to originate any institutional amendment. Rep. Adrian Michael A. Amatong sought funding to finish an ongoing hospital after health infrastructure was moved to DOH; DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon supported asking DBM for an exception for continuing projects, subject to DBM and committee agreement. Rep. Keith Micah "Atty. Mike" D.L. Tan likewise sought continued funding for ongoing convergence projects. None of these requests was approved, and none states a net addition to DPWH's total.

Project engineers and budget increase urged for later: DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon asked the committee to help secure additional DBM positions for DPWH project engineers, citing heavy workloads. Rep. Jose "Bong" J. Teves Jr. encouraged colleagues to increase DPWH's budget at the proper time if engineer funding was needed. He offered no amount, and Part 1 records no motion or vote to increase the budget.

Within-budget redistribution and program transfers: DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said DPWH had shifted regional allocations toward poorer areas and left any further reallocation to Congress. He also described removing duplicate or sub-PHP 5 million projects and lodging tourism, trade and transport convergence works with their lead agencies. These were adjustments to project selection and agency responsibility, rather than separate requests for a net DPWH increase.

Opening the DPWH briefing: Following attendance acknowledgements, Momo welcomed the DPWH delegation and called Secretary Vivencio Dizon to present the department's proposed 2027 budget, programs and projects.

Questioning rules: Momo allotted each member five minutes for questions, excluding the resource person's response, with a bell marking the final 30 seconds. He gave the minority priority before alternating with other groups, then requested acknowledgement of late-arriving members before questioning began.

Suspension before the afternoon continuation: Momo suspended the briefing until 1 p.m. and announced that Rep. Iris Marie Demesa Montes would be the first minority member to question DPWH when proceedings resumed. Her questioning belongs to Part 2; this was a recess, not the termination of the DPWH briefing.

Repairing Maharlika Highway before further widening: Libanan asked whether the PHP 199.58 billion national-road allocation included making more of Maharlika Highway four lanes. Dizon said some widening remained, but he had directed offices to prioritize repairing damaged sections first, especially in areas including Northern Samar and Samar. Widening also required secured right of way to avoid disconnected stretches; it could proceed once existing roads were in order.

Sorsogon-Samar bridge study, financing and timetable: Libanan sought progress on the Sorsogon-Samar link. Dizon corrected his initial funding statement: its feasibility study had PHP 130 million in the 2026 GAA, not PHP 120 million in the 2027 NEP, and was starting. He described a roughly 20-kilometer island-assisted route intended to avoid the deepest channel and reduce cost. He cited a 42% economic rate of return, compared with 33% for Bataan-Cavite, and agreed to check Libanan's suggestion to include tourism benefits. Libanan separately cited PHP 350 million for a Mindanao-Leyte bridge feasibility study. Dizon expected the Sorsogon-Samar study to finish in 2027; financing and final approval still had to be secured. He envisaged a six-year construction period under the next administration, rather than completion within the current term. Potential lenders had expressed interest, not committed financing. As a separate progress update, he said Bataan-Cavite's approaches were under construction and its main-span award was planned for September.

Publishing allocations for every legislative district: Tiangco sought accessible publication of DPWH projects and allocations by legislative district, including party-list representatives, arguing that a 722-page NEP was insufficient for ordinary readers to compare unusually large allocations. He linked unusual allocation growth to ghost and substandard projects and said the promised 2026 district-allocation report had still not been published. Momo initially referred the issue to the appropriations chair but agreed that district summaries should be published. Dizon distinguished DPWH engineering districts from legislative districts and agreed to supply the latter breakdown, publish line items on the DPWH website and upload the NEP with supporting documents. Tiangco asked for the summary before 1 p.m.; Dizon said it could be earlier. At the exit, Tiangco corrected Momo's reference to Navotas alone: the request covered all legislative districts nationwide. The exchange records commitments, not confirmed publication or delivery.

Completing flood defenses through multiyear funding: Tiangco stressed that incomplete flood defenses may provide no protection even after most spending has occurred, and asked DPWH to explain project phases and expected completion clearly. Dizon proposed seeking MYCA for ongoing projects, saying gaps in annual funding had left works unfinished; he had discussed the approach with the budget secretary. Tiangco supported that continuity, citing the long-running Navotas coastal dike and saying that access to funding had depended on political connections, making requests difficult for him as an independent. This was a proposed funding approach, not an issued authority or completed project.

DPWH requests for omitted flood projects: Tiangco asked DPWH to initiate institutional amendments for needed flood projects in places Dizon had visited but which were absent from the 2027 proposal. He wanted the requests clearly attributed to the agency rather than presented as congressional insertions. Dizon agreed to follow that process; no specific additional appropriation was approved in this exchange.

Showing communities the plans before construction: Amatong asked DPWH to explain projects and show plans to recipient communities before work begins, so they can identify defects during construction. Dizon said regional and district offices had been directed to coordinate locally and establish community needs. At the exit, Momo urged stronger pre-construction meetings with local officials; Dizon agreed and said consultation should extend back to project identification before budget preparation.

Project-engineer accountability and workloads: Amatong complained about absent project engineers and dismissive responses to defects, citing a tribal hall and a delayed health center in Gutalac. Dizon agreed that reforms must reach project engineers and nonperformers should be replaced. He also described a structural shortage: engineers could supervise 30 projects or more, against an initial stated maximum of seven. He sought additional DBM positions and fewer projects per office. Amatong rejected workload as an explanation for dismissing an obvious defect; Dizon said he was not excusing that individual case.

Keeping continuing hospital projects funded: Amatong appealed against removing hospital funding from DPWH's convergence programs, saying his district's urgently needed hospital had funding in 2026 but had not progressed and was absent from DPWH's next proposal. Dizon explained that most hospital funding already sat with DOH and DBM had directed the remaining DPWH health-facility items there. He supported seeking an exception for continuing projects, rather than new ones, and asked the committee to help obtain DBM's agreement. The policy was presently outside DPWH's control; no restored appropriation was approved.

Finishing bridge connections and obtaining a Dipolog update: Amatong cited a bridge left without an approach for years and urged completing unusable links before road widening or asphalting. Dizon agreed, said DPWH prioritized unfinished works and advocated MYCA to avoid future funding gaps. Amatong also raised the long-delayed Quezon Bridge in Dipolog, where residents faced detours and officials could not provide firm estimates. Dizon undertook to obtain regional information and respond promptly; the round supplied no specific completion date or estimate for that bridge.

Which flood plans exist and whether projects follow them: Ismula sought the inventory, age and implementation status of flood-mitigation master plans. DPWH Project Director Jerry A. Fano said plans had been prepared for all 18 major river basins, while smaller-basin work continued through regional and district offices. He cited five-year updating guidance from JICA and three-year guidance from DEPDev in light of climate change. Ismula requested direct copies because the website was difficult to use, identification of outdated or incomplete plans, and a table distinguishing projects aligned with plans from those not aligned. Dizon said works must follow available plans and described required coordination between DPWH and city engineers to connect drainage systems. He agreed to supply the requested material but later qualified that mapping projects against master plans would take longer than the same-day ODA information.

Foreign-assisted project delays and commitment fees: Dizon reported 50 priority ODA projects: seven completed, 26 under construction and the remainder in feasibility-study or detailed-engineering stages. He offered the list and said most, if not all, were delayed. Ismula cited DOF's reported PHP 3.4 billion in commitment fees since 2022 and asked for project-specific fees, delays, penalties and projects under unprogrammed appropriations. Dizon agreed that delays imposed commitment-fee costs but did not confirm a DPWH-specific amount; he said he would obtain the data. He offered some ODA information within the day, and Momo directed that the submissions pass through the committee. Ismula stressed the opportunity cost for health infrastructure; no project-level fee table or penalty total was supplied during the round.

Classroom delays and the catch-up schedule: Teves questioned low completion under DepEd's Basic Education Facilities Fund, citing July 15 figures of 76 of 261 classrooms in Region III, 48 of 297 in Region IV-A and 49 against a 280-classroom allocation in Region V. Dizon accepted the 2025 data and said DPWH aimed to finish all 5,000 classrooms funded by the PHP 13 billion 2025 allocation before that funding expired at the end of 2026. He attributed delays to the late DepEd-DPWH agreement, followed by site validation and bidding. The 2026 agreement had been signed in April rather than the previous August schedule; procurement was underway in August, with construction hoped to begin in September. These remained completion and start targets.

Oplan Kontra Baha operations and Catanduanes dredging: Teves asked where the NEP's PHP 369 million dredging, desilting and waterway-cleaning item and PHP 500 million flood-structure and drainage-repair item would be used. Dizon said deployment would follow needs nationwide, including places not individually programmed, and cover equipment operations as well as repairs, including damage occurring without calamities. Teves requested attention to Bato River in Catanduanes. Dizon said Undersecretary Charles Kalima would visit, or had already visited, to assess needs and prepare a dredging and desilting plan. Momo clarified that the dredging allocation covered operating equipment, fuel and personnel, which Dizon confirmed. Teves also supported additional resources for project engineers.

Commitment fees and lost social-service resources: Cendaña reiterated concern that delays in foreign-assisted projects wasted billions in commitment fees despite tight fiscal space and unmet social-service needs. He moved on to contractor sanctions without a separate new DPWH answer to that opening concern.

Contractor blacklisting and labor standards: Cendaña asked for blacklisting totals and grounds. Dizon estimated 10 to 15 contractors had been blacklisted, cited cases or investigations and PCAB-license issues connected to the scandal, and promised the complete list through the committee. He said labor violations had not been the basis for those sanctions but agreed to endorse labor standards and rights as blacklisting guidelines. Cendaña linked his request to contractors' challenge to the NCR wage increase and sought three years of projects awarded to Redicon; Dizon agreed to supply them. The exchange records an undertaking to consider the labor grounds, not adoption of a new rule.

Poor accessibility compliance and dedicated funding: Cendaña sought DPWH's assessment and project-level data on Accessibility Law compliance. Dizon acknowledged very poor compliance nationwide, citing missing or inadequate sidewalks and unsafe access. He described improvements during EDSA rehabilitation and instructions for ramps and sufficiently wide sidewalks, while acknowledging that full compliance remained distant. He said PWD infrastructure funding had risen from about PHP 170 million to PHP 500 million but remained inadequate; no compliant-project count was supplied. When Momo asked about a five-percent allocation rule, DPWH OIC Undersecretary Lara Marisse I. Esquibil explained that separate line-item funding had been provided, and Dizon said the earlier percentage approach appeared not to have been followed.

Enforcing construction-site road safety: Cendaña pressed DPWH on fatal road crashes and commuter safety. Dizon described removing district engineers following serious accidents and warned that noncompliance with construction-safety standards carried consequences. OIC Undersecretary Lara Marisse Esquibil said engineers were being trained on an existing safety manual, which DPWH also wanted to update, including warning-sign distances appropriate to road speeds. Dizon promised the updated handbook to the committee but emphasized enforcement on the ground rather than documents alone. Cendaña urged safer roads; the round did not establish a nationwide accident-reduction result.

Engineering capacity and overlapping project backlogs: Tan asked whether reforms and delays had reduced DPWH's implementation capacity. Dizon agreed, while reiterating the target of awarding 80% of 2026 projects by the end of September. Undersecretary Ador Canlas described accreditation levels, an ideal seven projects per engineer, assistance from inspectors and resident engineers, and job-order staff used to augment technical teams. He sought congressional help to obtain additional DBM engineer positions. The exchange did not provide a clear monetary capacity ceiling for each implementing office.

Maharlika rehabilitation and finishing other missing links: Tan worried that delayed 2026 works would overlap with the next year's large Maharlika and Quirino highway allocation, crowding out other unfinished projects. Dizon said Maharlika rehabilitation was being bid and agreed to help identify and balance other priority completions. He clarified that regional offices would implement the works; the central project office had prepared the plans. Tan cited district bridges that took years to build and a 42-meter Perez bridge proposed in 2018 that remained unbuilt, urging that implementing-office assignments account for past delays. No specific remedy or completion date for Perez was supplied.

Continuing convergence projects after the policy change: Tan asked why convergence programs had been removed from DPWH and urged continued support for existing roads serving isolated communities, including tourism-access routes. Dizon described joint rationalization with DBM and the other agencies: sector departments would hold their priority funds and could contract with DPWH to implement them. He supported retaining ongoing projects in DPWH if the committee and DBM approved a policy adjustment, but asked that new projects remain outside that exception. The exchange established conditional support, not a reversal of the policy or restored funding.