Marcos Directs Review of 2026 DPWH Budget Amid Insertion Concerns
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, September 3, instructed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon adn Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman to review and revise the proposed 2026 budget of the department of Public works and Highways (DPWH). The order comes following flagged “insertions” totaling at least P51.82 billion within the P880-billion DPWH proposal and allegations of anomalies in flood control projects.
“I have instructed the DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to fully review the budget of the DPWH and make the necessary corrections for the NEP 2026. We owe the Filipino people transparency and efficiency,” Marcos stated, according to a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) press statement.
The directive follows the government’s submission of the 2026 National Expenditure Program to Congress on August 13, which Marcos later acknowledged contained problematic additions. He stated on Monday, September 1, that the budget “needs to be cleaned out properly,” noting the continued discovery of insertions.
Senator Panfilo Lacson highlighted the vague insertions during a Senate briefing on Tuesday, identifying P51.82 billion allocated to flood management programs in Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon. Lacson, along with Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, intends to propose amendments to realign these funds in accordance with the Philippine Medium Term Development Plan, in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management and the DPWH.
Lacson previously delivered a privilege speech in August detailing concerns over “ghost flood control projects” in Bulacan and other Luzon areas.
