Gatchalian spots crimson flags in DPWH’s revised 2026 funds proposal

Even after the Division of Public Works and Highways cleaned up its funds, Senator Win Gatchalian nonetheless spots duplicated initiatives within the revised funds proposal

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday, October 20, flagged P271 billion value of questionable objects within the Division of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) revised 2026 funds proposal.

In the course of the Senate funds deliberations on Monday, October 20, Gatchalian stated these crimson flags embrace:

• Initiatives with no station numbers or particular particulars like location
• 40 duplicated initiatives value P1.099 billion
• 42 initiatives break up into a number of phases value P2.7 billion
• 9,613 initiatives that reappeared within the 2026 Nationwide Expenditure Program (NEP) from the 2025 Normal Appropriations Act (GAA)

Regardless of these, Gatchalian counseled the company for already scrapping a number of the duplicated initiatives within the revised NEP.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, in the meantime, stated initiatives with out station numbers can be verified and accomplished with technical particulars. He additionally supported the removing of duplicated and multi-phase initiatives.

Dizon stated initiatives that reappeared within the 2026 NEP from the 2025 GAA needs to be validated, as a few of them should be incomplete.

‘Excessive’ challenge prices

Utilizing random sampling, Gatchalian’s staff additionally discovered that some initiatives within the 2026 NEP seemed to be overpriced. His workplace in contrast the DPWH’s value estimates with these of the Council of Engineering Consultants of the Philippines (CECOPHIL).

Gatchalian stated that whereas the CECOPHIL discovered a number of DPWH initiatives to be moderately priced and even decrease than their impartial estimates, others confirmed “very excessive” prices. One challenge, he famous, was priced by the DPWH at P200 million, whereas CECOPHIL’s estimate positioned it at solely P13.3 million.

Dizon stated that the company’s impartial investigation additionally revealed that some DPWH initiatives have excessive challenge prices due to supplies.

Gatchalian requested the DPWH to offer an up to date development supplies worth index and an ordinary detailed unit-price evaluation.

The DPWH, already underneath scrutiny for its flood management initiatives, had been instructed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “make the mandatory corrections” in its funds proposal.

Following this directive, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the removing of P252 billion value of flood management initiatives and trimmed one other P3 billion from duplicated or overlapping objects, amongst others.

This brings the company’s proposed funds all the way down to P625.8 billion, which was accepted by the Home of Representatives. – Rappler.com