Marcos orders sweeping review of DPWH's budget

President Marcos has ordered a sweeping review of the Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) proposed 2026 budget, directing the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and newly appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to root out questionable entries and ensure every peso of taxpayer money is spent properly.

- By ARGYLL CYRUS GEDUCOS, DEXTER BARRO II, and JEFFREY DAMICOG

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Sept. 3, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the review will be "swift but thorough" to guarantee transparency and accountability while avoiding delays in Congress deliberations.

"The President ordered DBM and DPWH to scrutinize the alleged insertions. This must really be studied and evaluated if the claims are correct," she said.

She added that if completed projects are found to have been included again in the 2026 spending plan, they will be removed.

Since the National Expenditure Program (NEP) cannot be recalled once transmitted to Congress, Castro explained that any correction will be issued through errata—documents that amend or remove questionable project entries.

"These will be corrected, amended, and delisted so Congress will have the proper list of what should not be included [in the NEP]," she said.

In effect, this would reduce the budget of the DPWH for 2026.

"That's why there is a review and a budget hearing to correct the things that need to be corrected," she added.

Castro reiterated that President Marcos will not hesitate to veto questionable projects if they survive the congressional review process.

The President had earlier revealed that despite repeated warnings, he discovered inserted items in the DPWH budget, prompting him to order the establishment of an independent commission to investigate and recommend actions against anomalous infrastructure projects and those involved in them.

House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno has earlier revealed that congressmen discovered funding for already completed projects in the 2026 NEP submitted by the DBM to the House of Representatives. He particularly cited flood control work in Marikina City that has long been finished but still appeared in the 2026 NEP.

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