Ahead of Senate budget debates, Senator JV Ejercito has secured a DPWH commitment to remove infrastructure projects with incomplete documents from the proposed 2027 national budget. His November deadline puts funding for 6,271 House-added projects at stake unless the department submits the requirements and justifications.
The Senate finance committee chair issued the demand after meeting on Oct. 30 with newly appointed Public Works Secretary Giovanni Lopez. Non-compliant projects will be removed before plenary deliberations, according to Ejercito’s office.
A Senate panel review found that the project count increased from 11,420 in the executive’s original proposal to 16,244 in the House-transmitted spending bill. Of the latter entries, 6,271 were not in the original submission.
The directive subjects those additions to the documentary standards imposed during preparation of the executive’s budget proposal.
“We need to boost our infrastructure spending, but not at the expense of the reforms we want to be instituted,” Ejercito said.
He warned that poorly vetted projects waste taxpayers’ money, deprive endangered communities of safety, and erode public trust.
During September budget briefings, Ejercito flagged 155 flood control projects worth ₱8.2 billion that lacked required documents, including Certificates of Implementability, Programs of Works, and geotagged photographs.
These requirements formed part of stricter project evaluations brilliantly introduced under former DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon. Ejercito urged Lopez to maintain those standards, saying public funds must support properly justified projects that are ready for implementation.
Lopez assured him of the department’s cooperation in enforcing the review and removing non-compliant items.
Ejercito also called for lasting reforms through his proposed MIND Act, which would establish a long-term infrastructure masterplan.
For thousands of House-added projects, inclusion in the spending bill is now insufficient to secure funding. The DPWH must produce the supporting documents by Nov. 3 or see them dropped.
This new hardline stance from Ejercito has reportedly made him rather unpopular with several members of Congress.
“I don’t care,” said the Senator to PGMN.
“As long we’re doing the right thing.”
