DPWH budget on the line: Dizon’s 1 week deadline

On Friday afternoon, Sept. 5, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) became the first agency to have its budget deferred in the ongoing ₱6.793 trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026. While budget deferments typically pose a setback for agencies, in this case, it’s a necessary and welcome development, allowing review and revision of the DPWH’s proposed budget. Vince Dizon, the newly appointed DPWH secretary, who is only on his fourth day, is just as exasperated with the irregularities in the agency’s allocation under the 2026 NEP as the House members are. Dizon purposely chose not to make any presentation before the solons on DPWH's ₱881-billion budget for next year, since it was due for a massive overhaul. “Ako po ay dumaan sa ilang briefing. Aaminin ko po sa inyo, halos wala po akong maintindihan sa gulo ng budget na nakikita ko...marami-rami na rin po akong mga ahensyang nahawakan—ako po ay litong-lito hanggang ngayon,” he told the Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing-led Committee on Appropriations during its hearing Friday. “Napakalaking bagay po ng tulong ng honorable members of Congress para maipakita sa akin at sa buong sambayanan ang mga pagkakamali sa budget na ito,” Dizon said. “Kaya po ngayon…pasensya na po, hindi po ako makakapag-present...magsasayang lang po tayo lahat ng oras kung ako po ay magpre-present ng budget na babaguhin din po natin, sa tulong po ninyo,” he added. Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima was the one who moved to defer the DPWH budget pending its new look. Therefore, she moved to direct the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and DPWH to “submit within a proper period.. any correction, any new proposal, any new entries in the DPWH budget.” Suansing successfully carried both motions without objections. As for the deadline for DPWH and DBM to implement corrections, she noted that the final day for per agency budget hearings is set for Sept. 16. “So in light of that, we are hoping to schedule the next hearing of the [DPWH] within that week, the week of Sept. 15 and 16,” she said. However, the appropriations panel expects to receive the corrections by Sept. 12, exactly a week from the hearing. Dizon vowed to work round the clock to meet the deadline.