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.

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.

“Ang Pangulo inuutusan po ang DBM at DPWH na busisiin po ang sinasabi nilang mukhang nagkaroon na naman ng mga insertions. So kailangan po talaga itong maaral, ma-evaluate kung tama po talaga ang nasasabi (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 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.

“Iko-correct, ia-amend, tatanggalin para po mabigyan sila—ang Senado, ang Kongreso—ng listahan kung anong dapat na hindi na ilagay (They will correct, amend, or remove items so Congress can have a proper list of what should not be included),” she said.

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

“Opo. Yes, po,” Castro said when asked if the review would lead to a smaller budget for the DPWH next year.

“Kaya nga po may mga pagre-review, kaya po rin nakakakaroon ng budget hearing para maitama kung ano yung maitama dapat (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 earlier revealed that despite repeated warnings, he discovered “siningit” (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.

Meanwhile, the Palace welcomed Senate President Francis Escudero’s call for Malacañang to be more proactive in preventing questionable projects from being funded. Escudero suggested creating a negative list of infrastructure projects that should automatically be excluded from the national budget.

“Ang kanyang suhestyon po ay welcome naman po (His suggestion is welcome),” Castro said.

The Palace official also urged legislators who flagged suspicious entries to formally provide details to aid the review.

“Mas maganda po, iyong mga nagrereklamo at nakaalam ay i-coordinate po talaga sa DPWH lalung-lalo na sa pangunguna at pamumuno ni Secretary Vince Dizon (It’s better that those who discovered irregularities coordinate with DPWH, especially under Secretary Vince Dizon’s leadership),” she said.

Escudero also called for a moratorium on new flood control projects next year, citing billions in unspent allocations for 2025. The Palace Press Officer confirmed that Dizon has already started working on this matter as part of the review.

On the other hand, Castro said the “sweeping review” is also a way to address the P51.82 billion in “vague” and “distinct” entries in the 2026 NEP flagged by Senator Panfilo Lacson.

The directive to review the DPWH budget follows Marcos’ broader anti-corruption drive, prompted by the widespread flooding in different parts of the country despite numerous flood control projects. The President appointed Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon to head the DPWH, tasking him to “conduct a full organizational sweep” and ensure public funds are spent properly.