THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) wants some P54 billion that the Senate slashed from its 2026 budget restored, and not the P255 billion that it cut on its own in response to the president’s call to scrap funding for flood control projects next year. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday explained that the DPWH slashed its 2026 proposed budget by P255 billion, from P881 billion to P625 billion, following a line-by-line review in the wake of a massive flood control bribery scandal. Dizon clarified that what he appealed to the Senate Committee on Finance was the restoration of the P54 billion reduction made by the Senate from the House-approved version of P624.48 billion. The Senate, during plenary deliberations last week, reduced the DPWH budget to P570.48 billion, which is P54 billion lower than the P624.48 billion in the House version. Dizon pointed out that the DPWH’s P625 billion budget for 2026 was its lowest since 2020, which they achieved by removing all flood control undertakings without foreign funding assistance, duplicate or completed projects, as well as rock-netting and cat’s eye jobs. In a letter to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, Dizon requested the restoration of the P54 billion that was deducted from the projects in the 2026 DPWH proposed budget as a result of the reductions in the construction materials price data (CMPD). Dizon explained that the estimated DPWH P60 billion generated savings from the CMPD were derived through the application of adjustment factors and are mere estimates. Thus, a structured, step-by-step engineering process is required before any cost adjustment can be finalized or reflected in the budget, he said. He pointed out that if such process is not followed, inaccurate costing could compromise the projects needed by the communities nationwide, and would result as well in massive underspending that will have dire consequences on the country’s infrastructure and macroeconomic growth. The DPWH chief added that it would also result in possible misalignment with budget laws, procurement issues, as well as administrative and audit vulnerabilities. “In this light, we are respectfully requesting that the amounts deducted from the projects in the 2026 DPWH budget be returned, and that the DPWH, in the exercise of its executive functions, be allowed to update the project costs using the updated CMPD in order to ensure its proper execution,” Dizon added. Dizon has issued Department Order (DO) 210, directing all implementing DPWH offices, including regional offices, district engineering offices, project management offices, and concerned central office bureaus, among others, to strictly comply with the updated CMPD. He assured the bicameral panel that “no procurement activity may proceed without meeting this requirement.” Malacañang on Monday echoed the appeal of the DPWH to the bicameral conference committee to restore cuts made to the agency’s 2026 budget. In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro justified the call by saying funding is needed to efficiently implement the projects of the agency. “The DPWH had requested a budget and this was slashed by the Senate. Nearly 10,000 projects will not be fulfilled or implemented if they reduce the budget requested by the DPWH,” Castro said in Filipino. She added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is “aware” of the call made by Dizon after the Senate slashed the proposed 2026 budget to P570.48 billion from the P624.48 billion. New Bulacan engineers Also on Monday, Dizon named the new set of public works officials that will take over the controversial DPWH Bulacan 1st Engineering Office (DEO), the “most notorious” when it comes to ghost and anomalous projects. Dizon issued special orders (SO) 216 and 217, designating engineers Kenneth Edward T. Fernando and Paul Genar S.J. Lumabas as officers-in-charge, Office of the District Engineer and assistant district engineer, respectively, of the Bulacan 1st DEO. They took over the offices left vacant by dismissed district engineer and assistant district engineer Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, who are now facing administrative and criminal charges in connection with the implementation of anomalous and ghost flood control projects in Bulacan. At the same time, Dizon named retired Army Gen. Rommel Tello as regional director of DPWH Central Luzon. He advised the new officials to be part of the ongoing reforms to restore the public’s trust in the DPWH by serving as an example of honesty and integrity. “Our people in Bulacan need solutions. Yes, they want accountability, but they also need solutions because they are suffering every day due to recurring floods,” Dizon added. Dizon said the province of Bulacan is the “most notorious” when it comes to ghost and anomalous projects, particularly in the DPWH-Bulacan First Engineering Office, where dismissed DPWH engineers Alcantara, Hernandez and Jaypee de Guzman were formerly assigned.