DPWH Budget Gets Refined in Two Weeks

Department of Budget and Management secretary Amenah "Mina" F. Pangandaman (left) and Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Vince B. Dizon

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) have agreed to conduct the review of the DPWH’s 2026 budget within two weeks time.

In a press conference at the DBM central office on 03 September 2025, DPWH secretary Vince B. Dizon informed that the revisit of the budget may be completed in less than, but shall not exceed, a couple of weeks.

“Nag-usap kami ni [DBM] Sec. Mina [Amenah F. Pangandaman]. We both agreed on a two-week timeline. Dalawang linggo maximum. Pwedeng mas maiksi,” stated Dizon.

[“[DBM] Sec. Mina [Amenah F. Pangandaman] and I talked. We both agreed on a two-week timeline. Two weeks maximum. It could be shorter.”]

Budget secretary Pangandaman confirmed the mentioned turnaround time, explaining that in two weeks, the DBM and the DPWH resubmits the revised DPWH fund to the Congress.

“May dalawang linggo po tayo, or even earlier, makakaya [the review]. It could be earlier . . . Ipapadala natin sa kanila [lawmakers] yung bagong listahan, yung mga changes na mangayayari do’n [DPWH budget].” said Pangandaman.

[“We have two weeks, or even earlier, we can fulfill it [the review]. It could be earlier . . . We shall send them [lawmakers] the new list, the changes that will take place there [DPWH budget].”]

Pangandaman also verified that the DPWH’s budget may decrease depending on the infrastructure department’s decision to strike out some projects indicated in its original proposal.

“Depende sa kanila (DPWH). Kung tingin nila hindi na nila kailan yung mga ibang proyekto do’n, pwedeng bumaba yung [budget] level ng DPWH,” explained the DBM chief.

[“It depends upon them (DPWH). If they think that they no longer need some projects there, the department’s budget level may scale down.”]

The two secretaries opined that the Senate, in carrying on its budgetary deliberation, will focus on the proposed budget of other government arms while awaiting the two-week review of the infrastructure department’s proposed fund.

Earlier the same day, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. commanded the DPWH and DBM to carry out a “sweeping review” of the budget for the DPWH found in the National Expenditure Program Fiscal Year 2026. The directive is in response to the Congress’s findings that budgetary allocation has been sought for infrastructure projects that were already complete. Funding was also proposed for projects with multiple entries, each entry receiving separate budgetary provision.