THE House Committee on Appropriations chaired by Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing on Wednesday scrutinized the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed P643.95-billion budget for fiscal year 2027, with lawmakers focusing on safeguards to ensure that infrastructure funds are spent transparently, efficiently, and on projects that directly benefit communities.
The proposed allocation represents a 21.34-percent increase from the DPWH budget this year.
Committee on Appropriations Vice Chair and Committee on Public Works and Highways Chair Surigao del Sur Rep. Romeo Momo Sr., who presided over the briefing, stressed the need for the DPWH to strengthen its pre-construction activities, particularly coordination with local officials and residents.
Momo said communities should be properly briefed on proposed infrastructure projects, including their purpose, scope, and expected impact before construction begins.
Presenting the department’s proposed 2027 budget, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said P83.84 billion would be allocated for local flood mitigation programs, while P19 billion is proposed for ongoing foreign-assisted flood mitigation projects.
Dizon also outlined reforms being implemented by the DPWH to strengthen transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, including the scrapping of the previous parametric formula used in allocating the agency’s budget.
In its place, the DPWH has adopted a Project Evaluation System that requires projects to undergo stricter scrutiny and comply with documentary and technical requirements before they can proceed.
Among the requirements are an approved and complete program of work; validated geotagged photographs with coordinates; a master plan; a feasibility study or equivalent local plan; and a Certificate of Implementability to ensure that projects are not duplicated and are free from implementation issues such as unresolved right-of-way concerns.
Dizon acknowledged that the stricter requirements could result in slower project implementation, but said these safeguards are necessary to promote transparency and accountability and ensure that public funds go only to projects that are ready for implementation.
He also proposed placing ongoing infrastructure projects under Multi-Year Contractual Authority (MYCA) arrangements to provide greater funding certainty for projects that take several years to complete.
Dizon said the mechanism would help prevent disruptions and delays caused by funding reductions in succeeding annual budgets and allow ongoing infrastructure projects to proceed continuously until completion.
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