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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
December 16, 2025 | 1:34pm
DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon attends the Bicameral Conference Committee (bicam) at the PICC on December 14, 2025.
Wendell D. Alinea / Senate Social Media Unit
MANILA, Philippines — As the stalemate over the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) budget persists, the agency admitted to providing the Senate with "insufficient" data for the bicameral deliberations.
The Bicameral Conference Committee (bicam) was suspended Monday, December 15, after senators refused to return a P45 billion cut to the DPWH’s budget, reasoning that they wanted to avoid overpricing—a possible source of corruption.
The DPWH and House lawmakers, however, warned that a generalized reduction would put 10,000 projects at risk.
In a letter addressed to the Senate Finance Chair Win Gatchalian released on Tuesday, December 16, the DPWH apologized to the bicam representatives.
"In light of our continuous discussions regarding how to most accurately implement the reductions in the Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD) across the country to eliminate overpriced projects, we would like to respectfully apologize for the insufficient and limited data and information earlier transmitted to the Committee on Finance on the application of the updated CMPD," DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said in the letter.
"We recognize that the initial submission, which consisted only of the Regional Adjustment Factors, was insufficient to arrive at an accurate adjustment to the almost 10,000 affected projects," he added.
Limits of initial data. Dizon explained that the initial adjustments the department submitted were based on generic material cost assumptions. They were intended to only project potential savings under "assumed conditions."
As such, he said, the data may not reflect project-specific impacts and was not a "conducive basis" for the Senate's across-the-board budget cuts.
The proper application of the CMD, he said, needs to consider the project plans, approved budget for the contracts, and other technical factors.
"Without this granular data, any generalized adjustment risks being technically inaccurate and operationally difficult," Dizon said.
The DPWH said it is submitting additional, project-based data to the Senate as budget negotiations continue. The new numbers incorporate local market behavior, site conditions and hauling distances.
