Senators signaled confidence in Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon during bicameral deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget, while making clear that their concerns lie with Department of Public Works and Highways officers who implement projects on the ground.
The exchange took place as lawmakers discussed earlier Senate cuts to the DPWH budget, which followed Dizon’s disclosure that some infrastructure projects involved overpriced materials. Senators stressed that their trust in Dizon did not automatically extend to DPWH officers who handle project execution.
Finance Committee Chair Win Gatchalian told Dizon that senators trusted him but could not ignore long standing problems within the department. He pointed out that funds approved by Congress are implemented through DPWH offices and said lawmakers could not approve allocations without confidence in how those funds would be spent. Dizon agreed with the concern raised.
Dizon asked the bicameral committee to consider adopting the House version of the DPWH budget, saying the Senate’s across the board reductions affected the accuracy of project cost estimates. He explained that adjustments were meant to address material costs identified as overpriced, but said the application of these reductions to entire projects resulted in figures that did not reflect actual requirements.
Senator Loren Legarda said the Senate’s decision to cut the DPWH budget was based on Dizon’s own statements during budget hearings, where he acknowledged that some project costs were inflated. She said there was no misunderstanding about the basis of the Senate’s action.
Senator Kiko Pangilinan questioned the logic of restoring funds that were earlier reduced due to overpricing concerns, saying lawmakers would need to justify any reversal of their decision.
Dizon said he would defer to Congress on the final budget outcome and acknowledged the difficulty of restoring trust in the department. He said addressing the problem directly was necessary to prevent repeated abuses.
The bicameral conference committee ended the session without resolving the DPWH budget, with further discussions expected as lawmakers continue deliberations.
