DPWH Part 2

Part 2 allocation and original-request limitation: The FY2027 NEP allocation for the DPWH agency-specific budget was PHP 642 billion, as Rep. Isidro T. Ungab reported, up 21.3%, with direct infrastructure outlays rising from PHP 396 billion to PHP 545 billion, or 37.5%. He contrasted that national growth with roughly PHP 500 million programmed for Davao City's third district. Later, Rep. Renee Louise M. Co referred to a PHP 644 billion DPWH budget while discussing accessibility spending. Co's PHP 644 billion reference and Ungab's PHP 642 billion agency-specific allocation were stated with different scope descriptions; Part 2 gives no department-wide original submission to DBM.

Move to increase DPWH budget: Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez expressly moved for an increase in the DPWH budget while supporting Dizon and presenting local requests. DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon thanked him, but the exchange records no second, presiding ruling, increase amount or approved appropriation.

Local works and disaster rehabilitation requests: Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez sought PHP 120 million to finish Makabalan-Bonbon Bridge, PHP 100 million as DPWH share of a sports-complex renovation, and PHP 200 million more for an elevated walkway; he also pressed large bypass projects without an announced financing award. Rep. Shirlyn L. Bañas-Nograles requested over PHP 200 million for earthquake rehabilitation despite a smaller district proposal. Rep. Mark Anthony G. Santos asked for permanent Las Pinas pumping and drainage works, while Rep. Anna York P. Bondoc, M.D. sought funding to complete Macabebe pumping and disputed PHP 200 million for Delta Bridge approaches. Dizon promised current-year repairs to affected schools and health facilities using disaster and Quick Response funds, without confirming Bañas-Nograles's requested amount. For Macabebe he promised to find funding and finish the pumping station; for Delta Bridge he promised completion by early the following year, while the disputed restoration remained unresolved. None received a newly approved appropriation in this briefing.

Study capacity and district allocation pressures: DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said DPWH had about PHP 6 billion for studies in 2026 but considered roughly PHP 30 billion necessary for feasibility, engineering and geotechnical work, and asked that study funding be protected. Rep. Isidro T. Ungab said about PHP 500 million for Davao City third district was inadequate. These were an agency funding estimate and a member allocation appeal; the exchange produced no increase.

Right-of-way, access and flood funding: DPWH Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon urged Congress to preserve PHP 10.72 billion proposed for right-of-way payments and later said DPWH had requested PHP 15 billion for 2027 against nearly PHP 90 billion in obligations; Rep. Howard A. Guintu urged more nationwide funding. Rep. Renee Louise M. Co sought an increase above the PHP 510 million she cited for inclusive facilities. Rep. Mark O. Cojuangco pressed right-of-way priority, and Rep. Brian Raymund S. Yamsuan sought additional flood-control and detention projects. These were requests and priorities, without an approved increase.

Restoration, earmark and amendment proposals: Rep. Marie Bernadette G. Escudero asked how unfinished tourism roads could be funded after TRIP-C received no provision in the 2027 NEP; Dizon said DOT and DBM would have to be involved. Rep. Julienne "Jam" L. Baronda reported PHP 300 million lost from Metro Iloilo flood work, while distinguishing new study funding from construction money. Rep. Isidro T. Ungab sought to keep the Special Road Fund separately visible instead of embedded in Asset Preservation; this changed budget presentation, not the total. Dizon said DPWH would submit tightly documented institutional amendments for omitted priorities. The hearing recorded no committee approval of a restoration or amendment.

Project transparency, progress payments and quarterly reporting: Rep. Iris Marie Demesa Montes asked DPWH to make its transparency portal cover the full project life cycle, including bidding, physical progress, costs and disbursements, contractor performance and public feedback. Dizon said the portal already carried documents for completed and ongoing projects from the past ten years and would also carry supporting records for more than 11,000 proposed 2027 projects. He described archived bidding livestreams, bidding documents, accomplishment updates and satellite imagery obtained with the Philippine Space Agency, approximately quarterly. He acknowledged that the portal showed fully paid projects but lacked progress billings, and agreed these should be added. When Montes sought a report at the next budget hearing on the portal's contribution to accountability, Dizon committed to regular quarterly reports instead of waiting until then.

Cagayan de Oro bypasses and aging bridges: Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez thanked Dizon for visiting Cagayan de Oro and recounted commitments to seek foreign financing for the coastal bypass, which he said needed PHP 34 billion, help an eastern interior road requiring about PHP 7 billion, and add PHP 120 million to complete the Makabalan-Bonbon Bridge. Dizon confirmed the visit and the importance of the coastal road, emphasized repairs to aging bridges in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental, and promised further visits while projects were under way through completion. His reply did not announce financing awards or completion dates.

A proposed Mindanao-Leyte bridge study: Rodriguez welcomed what he described as PHP 350 million for the Mindanao-Leyte interlink feasibility study and sought implementation from January of the following year. He argued that connecting Mindanao, the Visayas and Luzon would improve trade and travel, and noted Rep. Romeo S. Momo Sr.'s role in the proposed route. This was a request to advance a study, rather than an announcement that bridge construction was funded or ready to begin.

Sports-complex renovation and an elevated walkway: Rodriguez requested PHP 100 million from DPWH toward a PHP 300 million sports-complex renovation, with the city and province each contributing another PHP 100 million. He also sought PHP 200 million more for an elevated walkway he put at PHP 570 million overall, citing PHP 83 million already provided that year. He submitted a letter and supported increasing DPWH's budget. Neither new funding request received a specific response; Momo endorsed Rodriguez's infrastructure proposals.

National flood planning and overdue river-basin updates: Rep. Jose Manuel Tadeo "Chel" I. Diokno challenged the absence of a comprehensive national flood-control and drainage plan, citing prolonged flooding in Pampanga and the need for planning beyond one administration. Dizon confirmed that DPWH had river-basin and urban drainage plans rather than a consolidated national plan. He said all 18 major river basins had plans, 14 were being updated, and DPWH was pushing consultants to finish in 2027, hopefully its first half. He described common principles such as upstream interventions, retarding basins and protecting populated areas, and supported including flood mitigation in the proposed MIND planning bill. Momo also backed river-basin planning but argued that the country's separate islands and basin characteristics made a single national flood-control master plan impractical.

Lifestyle checks and stronger contractor disclosures: Diokno sought updates on lifestyle checks, waivers and conflict-of-interest disclosures. Dizon said DPWH was working continuously with the Ombudsman and applying a one-strike approach to verified reports through show-cause orders, suspensions and, in some cases, termination. Additional waivers and disclosures beyond existing asset declarations were still being developed with lawyers and other agencies. He also described an unfinished agreement with the SEC to impose stronger disclosures on contractors handling public funds, comparable to those of listed companies, and offered to report on its progress. Dizon estimated that more than 200 Ombudsman fact-finding matters were under way; he did not describe these as completed prosecutions.

Removing and tightening convergence-program budget lines: Asked about former secretary Rogelio Singson's reported concerns over anomalies in convergence and special-support projects, Dizon said Singson's advice informed the proposed budget reforms. DPWH had removed CIPAG, retained the Basic Infrastructure Program with stricter requirements, and removed other convergence components so that the agencies responsible for tourism, trade, transport and defense would identify their own priority projects. He presented this as a way to reduce misuse and align funding with those agencies' priorities, while acknowledging the reforms were not yet perfect.

Nature-based flood defenses: Diokno urged DPWH to incorporate nature-based solutions. Dizon described replacing some concrete river defenses with gabions in rural areas, including repairs in Cebu and Davao, while retaining concrete structures mainly in urban locations. He argued that these alternatives could be cheaper and avoid worsening water velocity, and promised a report on current and planned applications. Momo supported more flexible structures and suggested considering geotubes.

Geotechnical studies, consultant accountability and in-house capacity: Rep. Shirlyn L. Bañas-Nograles linked deficient ground investigations to an extended General Santos underpass project, business losses and earthquake vulnerability, and asked whether consultants had been held accountable. Dizon agreed that poor or missing geotechnical work was a serious problem. He said there appeared to have been no such accountability action in the past year and promised to check earlier cases. He contrasted PHP 6 billion for 2026 studies with the roughly PHP 30 billion he considered necessary, citing an ideal allocation of 5–6% of capital outlay for feasibility, engineering and geotechnical work. He asked Congress to protect study funding from cuts. Nograles proposed building an internal specialist pool instead of repeatedly outsourcing; Dizon welcomed the goal but said DPWH lacked enough geologists, geotechnical engineers and specialized equipment to do this for its proposed 2027 projects.

Delayed releases for district projects: Nograles said only four of her district's 84 projects for 2026 had received SAROs and asked whether the remaining projects could still proceed. Dizon said some releases had occurred while others awaited completion of procurement requirements. He undertook to check and report back, assured her that projects would be implemented, and asked for patience while DPWH scrutinized the supporting requirements. He did not give a release schedule for each project.

Earthquake rehabilitation despite a smaller proposed allocation: Nograles contrasted an earlier district allocation of about PHP 1.7 billion with roughly PHP 500 million in the 2027 proposal and sought more than PHP 200 million in rehabilitation identified by the district office, excluding the airport and some other facilities. She warned that damaged buildings could deteriorate further during aftershocks. Dizon said the regional director would address the allocation concern and committed to repairing affected schools and health facilities within the current year, using disaster-response funding and DPWH's Quick Response Fund rather than waiting for 2027. He did not separately confirm the requested rehabilitation amount.

Discontinued 2025 projects and additional vetting: Rep. Roberto Nazal asked why 2025 FISARO projects had received SAROs, and in some cases been bid out, without the corresponding SAAs. Dizon put the affected allotments at PHP 90.3 billion, including more than PHP 30 billion in flood-control projects whose release the President had stopped. He said the remaining projects failed stricter checks for need, implementability and complete documents, and their budget cover was returned to DBM; he clarified that no cash was returned to the Treasury. Nazal challenged the additional vetting after compliance with NBC 595. Dizon maintained that implementing agencies still had to verify individual project details and said the decisions developed in late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. Nazal requested DPWH-DBM communications and a list of discontinued projects; Dizon promised DPWH's correspondence with DBM.

Savings authority, fund destinations and documentary follow-up: Nazal challenged how still-valid capital appropriations could be treated as savings and asked who certified the projects' abandonment. Dizon cited the GAA's general provisions, presidential approval and NBC 602, maintaining that DPWH had complied; he deferred more detailed legal clarification to DBM. He said returned budget cover supported other executive priorities, including crisis response and the Uplift program, but could not identify the exact destinations. The exchange also cited November 27, 2025 SARO records describing augmentation from DPWH savings. Dizon said DPWH submitted proposals while the President authorized augmentation. Asked specifically whether 2025 FISARO projects with SAROs but no SAAs had funded augmentation in 2025, he said none had done so since he took office that September and could not answer for the earlier period. Nazal would submit a written document request, and Dizon undertook to comply. The exchange did not settle Nazal's legal objections or fully trace the funds.

Upstream flood interventions and dredging equipment in Central Luzon: Rep. Julius Cesar "Jay" V. Vergara traced flooding across Central Luzon to runoff from denuded mountain areas into interconnected rivers and urged coordinated planning by DPWH, OCD and DepDev. Dizon said the President had directed the inclusion of five additional sabo dams in Nueva Ecija, four in Gabaldon and one in Bongabon, to intervene closer to the water's source. Vergara described Cabanatuan's purchase of amphibious excavation equipment for dredging and desilting instead of contracting out the work. Dizon promised additional equipment for Nueva Ecija, particularly Cabanatuan. Vergara clarified that he also needed assistance in the upstream areas around Laur, Gabaldon and Bongabon, since previously loaned equipment was already in Santa Rosa. No deployment date or completed dam construction was announced.

Connecting city drainage plans to a Metro Manila flood plan: Rep. Edgar R. Erice questioned whether separate city flood plans could simply transfer flooding across local boundaries, also referring to reports of PHP 1 billion for Project NOAH. Dizon agreed that conflicting plans and mismatched drainage could worsen flooding. He said the NCR flood-mitigation master plan was still being updated and completed, while urgent drainage upgrades and pumping stations required close coordination with LGUs in the meantime. Momo said city drainage plans were intended to interconnect with the broader World Bank master plan. The exchange did not provide a detailed account of the reported Project NOAH expenditure.

Waste, settlements and metropolitan accountability: Erice argued that flood control could not be separated from solid-waste collection and disposal, settlements along waterways, transport and fragmented metropolitan governance. Citing about 12,000 tons of garbage a day, he called for a Metro Manila government with an elected governor and assembly rather than relying on MMDA coordination across separate local political interests. He invoked Tokyo and Bangkok as models and praised Metro Manila's management during Imelda Marcos's tenure. Dizon said he had not seen a comprehensive waste plan, despite knowing of MMDA and DENR plans, and agreed that repeated cleanups were inadequate and a comprehensive intervention was needed. He did not commit DPWH or the executive to Erice's proposed metropolitan-government structure.

Environmental assessment and equitable project allocation: In the second round, Erice proposed environmental impact assessment for flood-control works affecting rivers, coasts and other natural waterways above a threshold still to be defined. He warned that slope-protection works could narrow waterways and included MMDA's proposed large cisterns in his concern. He also urged transparent allocation criteria based on population, need, land area and local problems, arguing for equitable rather than equal district shares and asking that reforms start early in the next budget cycle. Dizon welcomed the suggestions and said they would be implemented, particularly environmental studies, citing previous works that narrowed waterways. The exchange set neither an assessment threshold nor a district-allocation formula.

Two-way reconciliation of local infrastructure priorities: Rep. Maria Angela S. Garcia urged DPWH and DBM to explain and reconcile changes when centrally prepared budgets remove, reduce, defer or substitute priorities endorsed through local and regional development councils. She said local officials often learned which projects survived only when the NEP was released. Dizon said DPWH now required development-council certification and that roughly 80% of about 11,000 proposed projects were RDC-approved and endorsed, compared with an estimated 20–30% previously. He agreed to institute a feedback mechanism. Garcia stressed that appearing on a long RDC list was not enough: the smaller selection actually funded should be discussed and agreed with the communities that identified the priorities.

Davao's district allocation despite national budget growth: Rep. Isidro T. Ungab argued that roughly PHP 500 million programmed for Davao City's third district fell short of its infrastructure needs, despite a larger proposed DPWH budget and comparatively strong regional economic growth. He cited Davao's 2025 growth of 5.1% against national growth of 4.4%, alongside declining infrastructure spending and capital formation. This opening manifestation did not receive a specific allocation response.

Visibility and permitted uses of the Motor Vehicle User's Charge: Ungab objected to moving the Special Road Fund from a separate budget line into Asset Preservation: he contrasted about PHP 14.834 billion separately shown in 2026 with PHP 15 billion embedded in the 2027 proposal. He argued that this obscured the special fund, could exclude bridges from its operative coverage, and left Congress relying on disaggregation submitted only after enactment. DPWH Undersecretary Nicasio A. Conti and Dizon said the amended MVUC law limited eligible uses to roads, bridges and road drainage, and that the attributed projects were already itemized in the NEP rather than a lump sum; they offered the committee the project list. Ungab raised constitutional and pending-court-case concerns and asked DPWH to examine the 2023 veto message, which he recalled allowed comparable treatment only for that year. DPWH did not settle those objections or answer the veto-message follow-up during the exchange.

Unfinished TIKAS projects and transfers into BIP: Rep. Sarah Jane I. Elago requested the status of 944 approved TIKAS projects and pressed for investigation of roughly PHP 15 billion in reportedly unfinished or unusable works. Dizon said TIKAS was no longer in DPWH's 2026 or 2027 budget, had not personally reviewed the earlier projects, and would submit a report on ongoing projects from previous years. Elago identified three San Antonio, Zambales items worth PHP 60 million, PHP 10 million and PHP 25 million that she said had previously been under TIKAS. Dizon confirmed their current placement under BIP but still had to check their earlier program classification and whether continuing projects were inside EDCA sites. Elago sought more than a list: she wanted investigation started before plenary deliberations. No completed investigation or findings were presented.

ADB bridge restructuring, displacement and requested transport records: Elago asked about resettlement and livelihoods under the ADB Metro Manila Bridges Project. Dizon said the project would continue with restructuring to remove the Homeowners Drive-A. Bonifacio bridge because of major right-of-way and displacement concerns, with restructuring expected the following month. He attributed roughly PHP 3 billion already disbursed to the other two bridges. Elago cited a USD 175 million loan payable through 2049 and requested the traffic-impact study, bridge plans and compensation status for affected households and small businesses. Dizon promised the traffic study and other records within DPWH's remit. Her closing requests also included the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network status and MRT-7 plans; he said MRT-7 belonged to DOTr and undertook to relay that request for its budget hearing.

Right-of-way arrears and payment priorities: Elago asked where the proposed PHP 10.72 billion in right-of-way payments would go. Dizon put DPWH's accumulated obligations at nearly PHP 90 billion and said court-ordered payments had priority. He warned that delays increased interest costs and left owners unpaid long after surrendering property, and urged Congress to preserve the allocation, which he said was insufficient even for the priority obligations.

Diverting upland runoff away from Santa Rosa: Rep. Roy M. Gonzales sought a diversion or spillway for runoff from Silang and Tagaytay, arguing that flooding in Santa Rosa threatened workers and nationally important manufacturing activity. Dizon cited PHP 82 million for a feasibility study covering a diversion channel and other mitigation measures, alongside the planned Parañaque Spillway Tunnel linking Laguna Lake to Manila Bay. Gonzales clarified that his immediate concern was upland runoff into the city proper and proposed studying a route through the Diezmo River. Dizon said that interception and diversion would be included and promised progress updates. His timetable remained unclear: he first described the study as occurring this year, then referred to next year in his follow-up.

Vague road descriptions and safeguards against duplicate funding: Rep. Antonio L. Tinio challenged BIP entries that merely named road construction and a location, citing repeated PHP 5 million items in one engineering office's roughly PHP 404 million proposal. Dizon maintained that each project had supporting plans and local coordination records, and said any lacking required documents should be removed. He described signed implementability certificates covering double funding and on-site geotagged photographs with uploaded coordinates, while acknowledging the safeguards were not foolproof. Tinio also pointed to inconsistent station markings. Dizon said national roads had an established referencing system while local roads did not, but Tinio replied that even local-road descriptions were inconsistent and said the published budget did not yet demonstrate the promised reforms fully.

Replacing leadership and district allocation formulas: Tinio cited court statements and PCIJ reporting about past leadership funds and district allocations, including concentrated funding in the former speaker's district, and asked whether the old formulas still governed 2027. Dizon said allocables and the parametric formula were no longer being used. He described district and regional priorities as the basis and pointed to RDC endorsement for roughly 80% of more than 11,000 proposed projects as evidence of the change. Tinio continued to press for a clearer explanation of how the budget was distributed.

Central-office routing, exceptions and control over contracts: Tinio questioned why about PHP 481 billion in capital outlay was shown under the central office and PHP 121 billion under regions. Dizon initially explained that projects above PHP 50 million received their allotment authority through the center, while implementation remained with regional and district offices. When Tinio identified much smaller centrally listed road, bridge and flood projects, Dizon cited centrally managed Maharlika Highway and flood-management programs as exceptions and distinguished receiving budget authority from implementing work. Tinio argued that the inherited arrangement could conceal who controlled projects and contractor selection. Dizon declined to answer for past practice and expressed openness to committee-proposed reforms; the exchange did not resolve Tinio's objections to the exceptions.

District projects, institutional amendments and procurement delays: Tinio reported gaps in flood-control and multipurpose-building entries among the 199 district engineering offices and questioned central-office allocations. Dizon said documentary compliance determined inclusion, while projects listed centrally or regionally could still be implemented by districts; he maintained that the new proposals originated locally. Asked whether DPWH would submit another extensive errata, Dizon instead proposed limited institutional amendments for new priorities, fully justified with the same documentary requirements as NEP projects. He said amendments would be subject to FLR, distinguishing them from errata, while qualifying his legal interpretation. Tinio cited the 11,395-project NEP baseline and argued that amendments and repeated verification prolonged procurement and sustained a pork-barrel system. Dizon acknowledged the previous budget's overhaul and delays but expected fewer changes and faster implementation with complete plans and requirements. That expectation did not establish that later amendments or projects had already cleared review.

Classroom delivery delays and publishing validated school lists: In a manifestation, Tinio linked late procurement and fragmented works to congressional amendments and what he called the pork-barrel system. He cited DepEd's NEP as funding 6,000 classrooms in 2027 but targeting only 700 for completion that year. Dizon initially disputed the data, then clarified that his own assurance concerned 6,000 classrooms funded through PHP 20 billion from DepEd for 2026, which DPWH expected to finish the following year; he could not yet speak for the 2027 program. The figures therefore concerned different budget cohorts. Dizon acknowledged persistent delays: DPWH-DepEd agreements often arrived around August, school-list validation could add two to three months, and bidding followed in October or November. He proposed publishing already-validated classroom lists in the NEP and GAA, instead of leaving the education facilities fund as a lump sum, to enable earlier construction. He said the suggestion would be raised at the DepEd meeting. It remained a proposal, not an adopted budget amendment or confirmation that the classroom backlog was cleared.

Right-of-way funding, sidewalks and barangay open space: Rep. Mark O. Cojuangco supported DPWH's budget and urged nationwide priority for right-of-way acquisition, arguing that civil-works allocations could not deliver usable projects without it. He also called for wider sidewalks and suggested allowing legislators to propose funding for barangays to acquire open space. Dizon endorsed the need for right-of-way support because acquisition problems repeatedly stalled projects. He did not give a specific response to the sidewalk or barangay open-space proposals.

Project-readiness checks and accountable implementing offices: Rep. Jesus "Bong" C. Suntay asked how DPWH would prevent a repeat of audit deficiencies and ghost-project controversies. Dizon said the 2027 proposals required supporting work programs, local coordination and signed implementability certificates covering right-of-way issues and duplicate funding, backed by on-site geotagged photographs. He said additions or substitutions should face the same requirements, emphasized the personal accountability of regional directors and district engineers, and acknowledged that the safeguards were not foolproof.

Identical regional allocations for public facilities: Suntay questioned uniform regional amounts of PHP 180 million for evacuation centers, PHP 5 million for PWD facilities and PHP 20 million for elderly facilities, arguing that needs should vary across regions. Dizon explained the evacuation-center allocation by reference to the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, a five-year plan, two centers per region and standardized amounts. He said NDRRMC and OCD determined sites and DPWH could not construct until those locations were identified. His answer did not separately explain the PWD and elderly-facility allocations.

District allocations, local benefits and delayed releases: Suntay questioned past district-allocation disparities and secured a same-day commitment for the legislative-district breakdown already requested by Tiangco. He said his district's roughly PHP 1.7 billion proposal was concentrated in four projects, mostly buildings serving national institutions, with little directly addressing residents' needs. He also said 56.4% of the district's PHP 8.1 billion allocation from 2022 to 2025 had gone to the San Juan River. Dizon said the buildings were ongoing projects needing completion and defended a permanent San Juan pumping station, citing the help provided by temporary pumps during recent flooding. He said other local proposals had been requested from the district engineer for prioritization. Suntay pressed for a remaining drainage bottleneck along Timog and for releases of still-unimplemented 2026 projects; Dizon promised attention to identified flood-prone areas and said releases were being fast-tracked, without giving project-specific dates.

Completing whole corridors through multi-year funding: Suntay challenged the fragmentation of roads and flood-control works into sub-PHP 50 million district projects, proposing complete, centrally managed flagship interventions and concentration on selected areas until finished. Dizon agreed with the direction but stressed the large inherited backlog. He said flood-mitigation works were now required to fall under the national flood program rather than BIP. He also reported DBM agreement to move continuing roads, bridges and flood works toward multi-year appropriations in succeeding years, so completion timelines and funding could be planned. He did not announce a new presidential flagship program or claim the backlog had already been consolidated or completed.

Additional flood interventions and space for water detention: Rep. Brian Raymund S. Yamsuan asked whether the proposed budget could accommodate needs exposed by recent flooding, including detention facilities in Parañaque, and suggested help from private property owners. Dizon said congressional assistance was needed, citing additional upstream Pampanga River dams whose plans were not yet complete, but insisted that additions and substitutions meet the same strict project requirements. Asked about using basketball courts and other spaces for detention, he said storing runoff before releasing it into waterways was a priority in NCR and other cities. He identified land and right-of-way constraints as the main obstacle and suggested exploring parks, open fields and golf courses with owners' agreement. These were proposed interventions, without a site-specific funding or construction schedule.

The Parañaque Spillway as an outlet for Laguna Lake: Yamsuan urged progress on the long-discussed Parañaque Spillway and warned that other JICA-funded flood works would direct more water toward Laguna Lake and southern communities. Dizon said the President had ordered the project to proceed and described the spillway as a critical outlet to Manila Bay benefiting southern Metro Manila, Laguna and Cavite. He reiterated its importance alongside the other flood projects, but did not give a construction or completion date.

Blacklisting and action against DPWH personnel: Rep. Renee Louise M. Co asked how many contractors and project engineers had been sanctioned for substandard roads and flood-control works. Dizon reported 12 blacklisted contractors and more than 100 DPWH personnel suspended, removed or charged, with further action to be announced. He said contractor information had been referred to the Ombudsman and promised the committee the names and companies involved. These were reported disciplinary and case actions, not findings that every person had been convicted.

Flood-plan deadlines and removal of harmful projects: Co cited COA warnings dating to 2016 and pressed for flood-planning deadlines and action on structures that worsened flooding. Dizon targeted completion of the updated NCR plan by the end of the current year or early next year, and updated plans for all 18 major river basins by mid-next year, promising copies and status reports. Meanwhile, DPWH would coordinate urgent works with existing LGU drainage plans. He said audits had identified unhelpful structures, some already removed, and cited a Mindoro project experts recommended discontinuing. He cautioned that demolition or abandonment required establishing the harm or lack of need and obtaining proper COA clearances, and agreed to submit the list of identified projects.

EDSA spending, protected bike lanes and accessible facilities: Co challenged narrow, unprotected bike lanes and asked about the cost and actual spending on EDSA pedestrian works. Dizon cited PHP 6 billion for the revised EDSA works, down from the original PHP 17 billion rehabilitation plan, with wider pedestrian space added. He described sidewalks at least 2.8 meters wide and up to 5 meters in some locations, and a 1.5-meter minimum for bike lanes while agreeing 2 meters was preferable. He cited competition for limited road space. Dizon said pedestrian spending was included in the total rehabilitation cost and would try to separate and double-check it; Co requested submission of the figures. Co sought greater funding than the PHP 510 million allocated for PWD and other inclusive facilities, and a less car-centered EDSA. Dizon described an increase from PHP 170 million to more than PHP 500 million but agreed that funding remained inadequate.

Atugan Bridge safety and freight delays: Rep. Jonathan Keith T. Flores sought urgent action on Atugan Bridge, describing restrictions allowing only one truck at a time and citing a DepDev estimate of PHP 147 million a day in delay costs. He emphasized the effect on agricultural cargo and links between Bukidnon and neighboring regions. Dizon explained the need for immediate retrofitting while preparing a parallel replacement bridge, citing PHP 150 million in 2026 and PHP 600 million in 2027 for the bridge works. He used Atugan to illustrate DPWH's wider strategy of stabilizing aging, critical bridges first while securing replacement or rehabilitation funding, including bridges in Samar and Misamis Oriental. No completion date was supplied.

Confirmed ghost projects and the cost of slower spending: Rep. Stephen James T. Tan asked why infrastructure releases had slowed nationwide when the confirmed ghost-project cases were concentrated in a small number of areas. Dizon reported ten confirmed projects in Bulacan and Davao Occidental, stressed that investigations were ongoing, and offered a report. He said the problem also included substandard works and that faster spending had to be balanced with payments matching actual accomplishment. Asked about 2026 performance, he reported 76% advertised and 32% awarded, with an 80% award-and-obligation target by the end of September. He explicitly said DPWH was not yet back on its normal timetable, since early procurement had been disrupted.

For-later-release projects and repeated modification delays: Tan questioned why funded projects remained for later release and why modification papers could circulate four or five times until implementation became impossible within the remaining validity period. Dizon said items inserted into the GAA were placed for later release and described returning budget authorities to DBM after stricter vetting, with some used for other executive priorities. He attributed repeated modifications to weak initial plans and inaccurate station limits. His proposed remedy was stronger preparation and personal accountability when district engineers or regional directors signed implementability certificates, rather than a guarantee that every existing modification could still be approved. Tan acknowledged improvements in the readiness of 2027 submissions.

Keeping Maharlika Highway repairs from failing again: Tan welcomed progress after years of appeals for Samar highway repairs and asked how DPWH would avoid repeating that experience. Dizon emphasized sound engineering and uninterrupted funding, describing help from Japanese consultants, better cross-drainage and geotextile technology for vulnerable sections in Samar and Bicol. He cited the President's commitment to address chronically damaged Maharlika Highway sections before the end of his term and described gradual progress, rather than reporting the whole corridor finished.

Right-of-way payment priorities and a larger funding request: Rep. Howard A. Guintu asked how DPWH funded and processed right-of-way acquisition. Dizon said regions handled payments separately from project procurement, prioritizing claims ready for payment, including court-ordered obligations, negotiated settlements and required expropriation deposits. He said DPWH had requested PHP 15 billion for 2027 against nearly PHP 90 billion in accumulated obligations, compared with PHP 5 billion available in 2026, and warned that unpaid court-ordered claims accrued interest. Guintu described roads stalled after unpaid landowners withdrew access and urged the committee to add right-of-way funding nationwide. Dizon welcomed that proposal; no increase was approved in the exchange.

Maintaining Maharlika Highway and critical bridges: Rep. Reynolds Michael T. Tan reported provincial help with Maharlika Highway right-of-way payments and sought DPWH support, then asked how the repaired highway would be maintained. Dizon said widening would follow repairs and require further right-of-way acquisition. He urged Congress to protect routine-maintenance funds and promised more durable maintenance methods instead of repeated patching. Tan warned that neglected small defects had grown into extensive damage. He also reported that Calbiga and San Juanico bridges were passable again; Dizon said Calbiga repairs would continue.

Local projects crowded out by highway funding: Tan said the concentration on Maharlika Highway had left his district without funding for local roads, hospitals, multipurpose facilities, drainage and other flood works, despite needs across 524 barangays and remote and island communities. Dizon cited limited fiscal space and DPWH's national-road mandate but said he had spoken with regional and district officials about funding continuing local projects and important tri-boundary roads. He emphasized prioritizing ongoing works and complete documentation. He promised continued attention to Samar's needs, without specifying new allocations.

Testing detention-basin sites against the NCR flood plan: Rep. Salvador A. Pleyto welcomed 39 potential Metro Manila detention sites and asked how they fit the overall flood strategy, how many communities they would protect, how much water they would store, and how far they would reduce flood depth and duration. Dizon said MMDA had submitted the list and study, and supported detention basins in principle. He could not yet confirm each site's viability or benefits because DPWH needed to review the study against the ongoing NCR master-plan update. He promised the committee the resulting data once that comparison was completed.

Continuous funding for long bridge projects: Pleyto asked whether long bridges could be funded through completion instead of fragmented phases or packages. Dizon described a policy direction toward multiyear appropriations with clear completion timelines, avoiding projects that received money one year and none the next. He did not announce a new project-specific funding approval.

Earthquake assessment of critical infrastructure: Pleyto sought retrofit plans for bridges, flyovers and elevated expressways, and structural-integrity inspections of national buildings in preparation for a major earthquake. Dizon confirmed that a World Bank-funded NCR assessment was ongoing and promised its latest status report to Pleyto and the committee. He did not provide a structure-by-structure retrofit schedule.

Contract awards and opposition to wage increases: Rep. Elijah Rumbaoa San Fernando asked about Redicon and R2 Builders' government contracts while challenging their opposition to a wage increase. Dizon reported 174 Redicon contracts since 2016, 150 completed, totaling about PHP 9 billion. He did not have R2's figures available and promised records; when San Fernando cited about PHP 2.7 billion since 2021 from the portal, Dizon said a figure shown there would be accurate. San Fernando argued that firms receiving billion-peso contracts could afford higher wages, criticized their resort to the courts and called for a construction-workers' boycott. Dizon acknowledged having read about the wage dispute; he did not adjudicate the companies' financial claims.

Repairs and an independent audit of EDSA Phase 1: San Fernando pressed for corrective action on Redicon's EDSA work. Dizon said the damaged stretch between Estrella and Buendia had been repaired, with drainage inlets enlarged and no additional cost to the national government. He relayed engineers' explanation that ponding water and passing buses had damaged the asphalt, and announced a third-party audit of Phase 1's materials and workmanship. He had read that MMDA imposed a fine but could not confirm its amount. The audit was an announced action, not a completed quality finding.

Permanent flood measures for Las Piñas: Rep. Mark Anthony G. Santos praised the deployment of flood-mitigation equipment under Kontra-Baha and cooperation among DPWH, the city government, MMDA and San Miguel Corporation. He supported funding technically sound and transparent flood projects but said temporary measures were insufficient. He requested additional pumping stations, improved drainage, river and waterway rehabilitation, and coordinated land management for Las Piñas, emphasizing prevention and permanent solutions. Dizon acknowledged the manifestation without giving a project-specific or funding commitment.

Excavation enforcement and seized construction equipment: Rep. Arnie B. Fuentebella sought interagency help over equipment seized during construction and clearing works in Camarines Sur. He distinguished excavation for drainage and national projects from quarrying, alleging that provincial environmental enforcement had disrupted contractors and that six backhoes used on Partido Boulevard had been impounded. He also raised seizures affecting a private fishpond and road work in Caramoan, and asked that enforcement authority be clarified. Dizon said equipment should not be confiscated where excavation was permitted. Having received Fuentebella's letter, he had approached DENR and would continue discussions to clarify policy and prevent disruption of national projects. He assured assistance against project delays; the exchange did not establish a release order or adjudicate the legality of the individual seizures.

Maguindanao flood relief and Buluan Bridge accountability: Rep. Esmael G. Mangudadatu credited Oplan Kontra Baha dredging and borrowed equipment with clearing roughly 15 kilometers of waterways and improving farms in low-lying Maguindanao communities, including those of former combatants. He sought continuing flood mitigation but alleged that bridge works in Buluan had caused accidents and renewed flooding that damaged crops. He asked DPWH to call the contractor to account, including for hospital bills. Dizon said he had directed the regional director to issue a show-cause notice and stressed accountability for the accidents. He reported that the remaining PHP 80 million needed to complete the bridge was being bid, with completion expected by the middle of the following year. He also promised a personal visit to press for timely delivery. These were reported enforcement steps and completion assurances, not confirmation that compensation had been paid or the works finished.

Bridge feasibility studies and funding readiness: Rep. Marie Bernadette G. Escudero asked about the Sorsogon-Samar Link Bridge study and other major projects being prepared for financing. Dizon identified PHP 130 million as counterpart funding for the ADB feasibility study, said work had started and hoped results would be available the following year before pursuing construction financing. He also confirmed PHP 350 million in 2027 for a study of a Visayas-Mindanao bridge connection via Surigao, and undertook to submit the list of major projects with study funding. Asked about the threshold, he said projects costing PHP 1 billion or more required a feasibility study. The amounts discussed were for studies, not approved bridge construction budgets.

Unfunded ongoing tourism roads and agency responsibility: Escudero sought the list of ongoing TRIP-C tourism-road projects and assurance that their remaining costs would be funded. Although Dizon initially answered affirmatively, he clarified that even ongoing projects had no provision in the present 2027 NEP. Restoring funding to finish them would have to be raised with DBM and DOT. He promised the project list and said DOT would identify and prioritize tourism roads, with joint technical validation by DOT and DPWH if DPWH was instructed to undertake the works. The exchange left funding restoration conditional.

Convergence roads and lead-agency accountability: Rep. Joseph S. Tan welcomed stricter supporting documents, including work programs and implementability and non-objection certificates, as safeguards for public money. Tan asked how annual support for industry and tourism access roads would continue after the convergence-program changes. Dizon explained that projects would be budgeted under their lead agencies, with funds transferred to DPWH through agreements if it was chosen to implement them. He cited complaints that previously funded projects did not reflect those agencies' priorities. He remained open to flexibility for ongoing projects so they could be completed, subject to DBM and the lead agencies agreeing.

Pumping-station repairs and major flood works: Asked how many Metro Manila pumps were working, Dizon reported improvement from about 30 of 70 on his arrival to 54 of 70 at the hearing, including the Tumana station and all pumps in Navotas. He promised a status report and further repairs, while warning that garbage ingestion repeatedly damaged equipment. Tan also recalled a funding requirement exceeding PHP 200 billion discussed for major flood interventions. Dizon confirmed the scale and importance of ongoing foreign-assisted works and hoped the Marikina project would finally be completed the following year. Neither answer established that all pumps or major flood works were already complete.

Classroom construction packages and overloading enforcement: Tan questioned whether combining classroom sites across districts into a single contract would speed delivery. Dizon said clustering depended on site conditions, including remote and mountainous locations, with no fixed rule and the aim of improving speed and quality. Tan requested a review of the arrangement. Turning to repeated highway damage, he pressed for truck-weight enforcement rather than repeated repairs. Dizon described overloading as a major enforcement problem and undertook to seek help from transport authorities, the PNP and LGUs. The exchange produced no enforcement count or guaranteed completion date for the classroom packages.

Support for DPWH reforms and follow-through on local works: Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand L. Hernandez offered a manifestation of support rather than questions. He credited Dizon's site visits and follow-through with securing funds and repairs for damaged roads and other works in his former district, and urged continued reforms and public scrutiny of spending. His confidence that ghost and substandard projects would be prevented was an endorsement, not an audit finding. He also asked that his district not be forgotten. Dizon thanked him and said the work would continue with legislative and presidential support; no specific new project allocation was announced.

Truck weighing, bridge funding and pedestrian crossings: Rep. Timothy Joseph E. Cayton linked premature road and bridge damage in Nueva Vizcaya to overloaded cargo trucks and sought stronger enforcement and additional weighing facilities. Dizon said DPWH was buying more scales for regional deployment and promised to send one through the regional director. For bridges serving isolated agricultural communities, he advocated multi-year appropriations from 2027 so succeeding years' funding and completion could be planned, rather than treating each phase separately. Cayton also requested two more pedestrian overpasses on Maharlika Highway, citing accident risks at Bonfal East in Bayombong and Barangay Balete. Dizon asked him to submit the documents and said the regional director would meet him; the additional crossings were not approved or funded in this exchange.

Marikina pump reliability and completion of flood works: Rep. Atty. Miro S. Quimbo sought an on-record commitment to keep Marikina's two pumping stations useful and reliable. Dizon promised maintenance and a standby mobile pump if Tumana or the other station failed. Quimbo credited an earlier mobile-pump deployment and DPWH/JICA works with easing flooding. Dizon targeted full completion of the delayed Marikina floodway by the middle of the following year, and promised personal follow-through on funded Balanti Creek work and Sumulong Highway drainage through its outfall, with both to finish the following year. Quimbo identified a remaining gravity-wall gap near Manila Water, and Dizon assured attention. The exchange distinguished observed relief from still-unfinished protection and drainage works.

Delayed bridge connection and engineering-district workload: Quimbo asked DPWH to expedite the bridge at Bagong Sibol, describing a four-year delay despite completed connecting infrastructure and Chinese financing. Dizon agreed to hasten it without giving a completion date. Later, Quimbo suggested dividing the large First Metro engineering district, and Dizon agreed its coverage was too large; no reorganization decision was announced.

Mobile pumps and the unfinished Macabebe station: Rep. Anna York P. Bondoc, M.D. sought immediate relief for still-flooded Pampanga towns and an update on Macabebe and Masantol pumping interventions. Dizon said three mobile pumps had arrived in her district the previous day, but explained that pumping was constrained when receiving waterways were also full. More pumps were expected in September; leaving one per municipality was an aim dependent on their arrival. When Bondoc identified a half-finished Macabebe pumping station, Dizon promised to find funding and finish it. No funding amount or completion date was established for that station.

Pampanga crossings and the Delta Bridge funding dispute: Bondoc sought priority for five unfinished Pampanga River bridges as alternative routes to NLEX and MacArthur Highway, citing disaster and national-security risks if the existing corridors became unusable. Dizon said he would work with the regional director and prioritize unfinished crossings. For Delta Bridge in Masantol, Bondoc reported 95% completion but missing approaches, and sought restoration of PHP 200 million she said had reverted after procurement failed to proceed. Dizon cited PHP 143 million still available under 2026 and promised completion, but Bondoc said that was different from the reverted augmentation she was raising. He referred the documents to UPMO for discussion with her staff and ultimately promised completion by early the following year. The exchange did not reconcile the two funding amounts or confirm restoration of the disputed funds.

Regular dredging and a second-phase Korean-assisted project: Bondoc asked about dredging policy. Dizon described dredging, desilting and waterway cleaning as the fastest initial flood intervention recommended by consulted experts, and said dredging needed to become regular DPWH maintenance rather than a one-time effort. DPWH was expanding equipment capacity, including smaller backhoes on barges for esteros. Bondoc then urged progress on a Korean-assisted second-phase flood project, saying RDC approval had been obtained and expressing hope that the loan could advance in less than six months. Dizon identified referral to DepDev as the next step. The exchange did not establish final loan approval or a six-month construction deadline.

Metro Iloilo flood studies and unfinished local projects: Rep. Julienne "Jam" L. Baronda sought sustained work on the second floodway phase and an updated Metro Iloilo drainage master plan after years of interrupted funding. She reported PHP 300 million had fallen out of the budget and welcomed PHP 102 million in the NEP for updated studies. Dizon confirmed the PHP 102 million and the previous year's PHP 50 million, agreeing with her combined PHP 152 million figure. These were study funds, not construction funding or evidence that the studies were finished. Baronda hoped for progress by 2028, citing flooding in more than 62 barangays, and asked DPWH to revisit unfinished projects including evacuation centers. The record contains no new delivery commitment in response to that closing request.

Emergency coastal-road repairs in Surigao del Sur: Rep. Romeo S. Momo Sr. sought faster repairs to mountainous coastal-road sections in Surigao del Sur, saying that after Basiang, half-lane passage still prevented ten-wheeler cargo trucks from using the highway. He contrasted PHP 40 million in immediate-response support with an engineering-office request he recalled at PHP 300 million, and stressed the route's regional importance and approaching rains. Dizon promised to press for release of the QRF application and personally expedite action. No release confirmation, final amount or completion date was provided.

DPWH briefing terminated; committee proceedings suspended: Rep. Jose "Bong" J. Teves Jr. moved to terminate the DPWH budget briefing after thanking the department for the day's exchanges. Baronda seconded, and Momo declared the briefing terminated. Teves then moved to suspend committee proceedings at Romualdez Hall until August 27, 2026 at 9 a.m.; Baronda seconded and Momo announced the suspension and resumption schedule. This closed the briefing, rather than recording enactment or final approval of the DPWH budget.

No third round of questioning: Rep. Jose "Bong" J. Teves Jr. thanked Tinio for agreeing to forgo a third round and continue his questions in plenary.