Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon has denied reports that the agency has restored the original, pricier costs of its infrastructure projects.

Dizon did so in front of members of the House of Representatives and Senate Sunday, Dec. 14 on the second day of the Bicameral Conference Committee hearings on the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or proposed national budget for 2026.

Dizon was given the chance to make a presentation at the start of day two of the livestreamed hearing, which oddly enough began nearly three hours late.

Because of the flood control projects corruption scandal, the DPWH budget in the 2026 outlay has become quite contentious and a magnet for controversy. Dizon's presence at the hearing made it feel more like a congressional inquiry and less like a bicam proceeding.

"Bago po ako magsimula, gusto ko lang pong siguro i-correct 'yung mga iba't-ibang mga balita na naririnig natin. Unang-una, hindi po totoo na ibinabalik na po ng DPWH 'yung dating presyo. Hindi po totoo 'yun," Dizon said.

(Before I begin, I would just like to correct the various reports we have been hearing. First of all, it is not true that the DPWH is bringing back the old price. That is not true.)

"Nakita ko po 'yun sa social media kahapon, pagkatapos naming ilabas ang statement, narinig ko din po ngayon. Hindi po totoo 'yun. Ang presyo po na ibinaba na natin ay hindi ibabalik sa lumang mas mataas na presyo," he underscored.

(I saw that on social media yesterday, after we released the statement, and I also heard it today. That is not true. The price that we have already lowered will not be returned to the old, higher price.)

"At sa tingin ko po, dahil sa reporma ng Pangulo [Marcos], hindi na 'to maibabalik in the future dahil sino pa pong Presidente o DPWH Secretary ang pwedeng magbalik nito na ngayon na ibaba na natin sa tamang presyo," added Dizon, who was installed as DPWH chief last Sept. 1, 2025 to help dismantle the inner workings of the corruption scandal.

(And I think that because of President Marcos' reform, this cannot be brought back in the future, because what President or DPWH Secretary would be able to restore it now that we have already lowered it to the correct price. That is the very first point.)

The public has been seething over the shenanigans in DPWH flood control projects, where a big chunk of the funding gets pocketed as kickbacks by certain lawmakers. This results in substandard projects, or in some cases, "ghost" or non-existent projects.

The significant reduction of project costs is viewed as a deterrent, if not outright solution to this problem.

"I think it's very important po for me to make it very, very clear why we are all here discussing this very, very important and quite frankly unprecedented reform measure that the President initiated this year. Which is the reduction of the construction materials price data which has never been done at this level and, um, at the... in this breadth," Dizon told the bicam.

"Ang Pangulo po mismo ang nag-instruct sa akin na ibaba ang presyo ng semento, ng bakal, ng aspalto, ng graba, ng buhangin, at iba pang mga materyales na ginagamit sa pagpapagawa ng ating mga kalye, mga tulay, mga classroom, at iba pa," he said.

(The President himself instructed me to lower the prices of cement, steel, asphalt, gravel, sand, and other materials used in building our roads, bridges, classrooms, and more.)

"Hindi pa po ito ginagawa in the past, 'no? Dati po nagbababa lang ng budget by 10 percent, pero yung level of detail po na ginawa ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos ay ngayon pa lang po nagawa ito," Dizon further said.

(This has not been done in the past, right? Before, the budget was only reduced by 10 percent, but the level of detail carried out by the administration of President Bongbong Marcos has only now been accomplished.)