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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Lacson warns against 'restoring' cuts in DPWH budget at bicam

Lacson warns against 'restoring' cuts in DPWH budget at bicam

Published Dec 14, 2025 05:57 pm

At A Glance

  • Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson warned on Sunday, December 14, that restoring the items cut from the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at the bicameral conference committee level will reopen the floodgates to insertion.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson warned on Sunday, December 14, that restoring the items cut from the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at the bicameral conference committee level will reopen the floodgates to insertion.
Lacson made this point after DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has requested lawmakers on the second day of the bicameral meeting to accommodate his request of restoring the deducted amounts from the department’s projects for next year due to reductions in the Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD).
He noted that the items the DPWH is seeking to restore are not in the Senate and House versions of the budget bill.
Neither the Senate or House can act on the DPWH’s request as lawmakers agreed to tackle only the disagreeing provisions in their version of the budget bill in the bicameral conference committee.
“If the DPWH appeals to restore its budget and the items it seeks are not in the House and Senate versions, it may open the floodgates to insert items that are not in either version,” Lacson said in an interview on DZBB radio.
“In the bicam, if the items they want restored are not in the House and Senate versions, we would be violating our agreement to tackle only the disagreeing provisions, and the door would be open to insertions,” he added.
According to Lacson, the DPWH can ask Malacañang for assistance if it needs additional funds for its programs, activities and projects, as Malacanang can realign funds from the Special Purpose Fund (SPF).
“That is the SPF's purpose. The President can realign funds if there are savings. The DPWH can ask for additional funds there,” he said.
Prior to the start of the bicameral deliberations, which started on Saturday, December 13, the Senate slashed the DPWH’s proposed 2026 budget to P570.48 billion, from P624.48-billion in the House of Representatives’ version.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, said the amendments included the use of adjustment factors since President Marcos has issued a directive to cut project costs in light of the massive corruption involving flood control projects.
The said flood control scandal exposed the widespread practice among DPWH engineers to exaggerate the price of construction materials to accommodate kickbacks—usually in the form of “commitments”—to lawmakers who are usually listed as project “proponents.”

Related Tags

Ping Lacson DPWH 2026 national budget bicameral conference committee SENATE House of Representatives
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