Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon agree that the unit cost of overpriced infrastructure projects of the agency should be slashed by at least 10 percent.

Legarda Leviste raised this point during the DPWH's recent budget hearing before the House Committee on Appropriations.

During the marathon hearing on DPWH's proposed 2026 funding, the Batangas lawmaker asked if he was amenable to following former secretary Rogelio "Babes" Singson's example of lowering unit costs.

“Noong panahon ni DPWH secretary Rogelio Singson, the Detailed Unit Price Analysis (DUPA) ay pinilit niyang ibaba ng at least 10 percent, at sabi po ni Secretary Singson na kaya daw pong ibaba pa ito ng 15 hanggang 20 percent," he said.

(DPWH secretary Rogelio Singson, during his time, sought to lower the Detailed Unit Price Analysis by at least 10 percent, and he even said 15 to 20 percent was possible.)

"May I ask, Mr. Chair, your opinion on lowering the DUPA so that we can fund more projects within the same budget?” Leviste asked Dizon, who took over his post from Manuel Bonoan only last Sept. 2.

“Yes, in fact nag-usap po kami ni former Secretary Singson, at I agree with him at isa 'yun sa mga plano nating gawin in the coming weeks and in the coming months na gawan ng paraan na ibaba ang DUPA nationwide, kailangan pong i-review natin ng maige (Yes, in fact I spoke with former Secretary Singson, and I agree with him. That’s one of the plans we intend to carry out in the coming weeks and months, to find a way to lower the DUPA nationwide. We need to thoroughly review it) with the end goal of bringing it down in order to be more efficient with the utilization of the budget," answered Dizon.

"I would tend to agree with him na at least 10 percent po ang kaya pong ibaba across the board,” Dizon noted.

Leviste emphasized that lowering the DUPA could result in significant savings: “If there’s at least 10 percent savings on P880 billion, then there could be at least P88 billion of savings that could go either to more projects or help close the deficit.”

“Lowering DPWH unit costs by 20 percent could save P176 billion, which can even support our proposal to lower the VAT from 12 percent to 10 percent and result in an average of P7000 per year of additional disposable income for every Filipino family,” Leviste further explained.

The 32-year-old entrepreneur-turned-solon wants to put a stop to wasteful government spending in order to lower taxes and address inflation. This will result to more cash in the pockets of ordinary Filipinos.

Legarda Leviste is a vice chairman of the Committee on Appropriations and Committee on Ways and Means.