DPWH apologizes to Senate for deadlock on budget cut

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December 17, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Admitting deficiencies in the data it initially submitted to the Senate finance committee that caused a deadlock at the bicameral conference over its 2026 budget, the Department of Public Works and Highways said it would cooperate with the bicam to come up with more accurate project cost estimates for DPWH infrastructure projects.

“The Department of Public Works and Highways acknowledges and sincerely apologizes for the insufficient initial data submitted to the Senate Committee on Finance regarding the application of the updated Construction Materials Price Data,” the DPWH said in a statement yesterday.

“We acknowledge our oversight in providing only the Regional Adjustment Factors and fully agree that this limited information was inadequate for the Committee to accurately determine the specific, project-level adjustments for the nearly 10,000 affected projects,” the agency added.

The department said the information it initially provided was limited to “regional adjustment factors,” which it later recognized as insufficient for determining precise cost adjustments at the project level.

“To address this, the DPWH has submitted additional, project-category-based data that incorporates key variables such as hauling distances and localized market behaviors, resulting in a more realistic basis for funding.”

Senate finance committee chair Sherwin Gatchalian confirmed receipt of DPWH’s revised data, saying the agency’s acknowledgement of its errors could help restart stalled budget talks.

“DPWH has submitted Revised Adjustment Factors. We are studying these first. As soon as this is validated, we shall apply this to the projects in the budget,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, in a chance interview, maintained the Senate’s position against restoring the P45 billion slashed from the 2026 DPWH budget.

“So far, we are still in a deadlock. It’s a matter of principle on our part. I fully support the leadership of the bicam and members of our bicam. I fully support the Senate stand that the fat should be removed from the DPWH budget,” he said.

Over the weekend, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has appealed to the bicam to restore the P45 billion earlier removed by the Senate from the agency’s 2026 budget.

Bicameral talks resumed yesterday afternoon, with both chambers of Congress agreeing to discuss budgets of other agencies in the meantime.

Marcos confident of budget timeline

Despite the delays, President Marcos remains optimistic that the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for next year will be passed on time.

Speaking at a Palace press briefing yesterday, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro maintained that Marcos does not want this year’s budget to be reenacted as it would delay the rollout of several projects.

“In the heart and mind of the President, it can still be done because everybody, even the President, does not want a reenacted budget,” the Palace press officer said. — Neil Jayson Servallos, Alexis Romero, Marc Jayson Cayabyab