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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Lacson to closely examine DPWH budget realignments, including to 'ayuda' programs

Lacson to closely examine DPWH budget realignments, including to 'ayuda' programs

Published Sep 24, 2025 03:55 pm
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson vowed on Wednesday, Sept. 24, to closely scrutinize the realignments made in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)'s proposed budget for 2026, particularly those introduced in the House of Representatives for "ayuda" programs.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (Senate PRIB photo)
Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget, said this Wednesday after noting that at least P46 billion of the DPWH's budget was realigned to "ayuda" programs.
"We expect the House version of the General Appropriations Bill to be transmitted to us soon. We will compare this House version of the budget bill with the National Expenditure Program to check which items got a spike in funding," he said in Filipino in an interview on True FM.
The Senate is expected to start deliberations on the DPWH's proposed 2026 budget in October. Lacson said he intends to focus on the budget deliberations.
Lacson said this scrutiny for questionable items in the budget has become doubly important because the country cannot afford another scandal after the Napoles pork barrel mess of 2013, and this year's controversy involving anomalous flood control projects.
The House of Representatives had reportedly realigned at least P46 billion from the DPWH's flood control projects to social amelioration programs, including P32.6 billion to the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, and P14.82 billion to Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
With this, the proposed AICS budget for 2026 was increased to P59.5 billion, while the TUPAD budget was increased to P26.9 billion.
Earlier, the DPWH brought down the DPWH's proposed 2026 budget to P625.7 billion after scrapping all locally funded flood control projects and removing corruption-prone projects like road reblocking and road stud projects.
Lacson reiterated his call to fellow lawmakers to exercise self-restraint in making proposed realignments, keeping in mind the outrage generated by the flood control project scandal.
"We should be horrified by what happened. Let's not allow the problem to linger. Let us also help find ways to bring down our debt because our debt has grown so big," he said.
"We have barely recovered from the Napoles scandal when we got hit by the controversy over flood control projects. What's next?" he added.

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DPWH ping lacson 2026 budget AYUDA pork barrel
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