The Senate’s finance committee has once again tightened its belt — cutting down the 2026 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to ₱568.56 billion, down from the ₱624.48 billion earlier approved by the House of Representatives.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the finance committee, made the announcement during Wednesday’s plenary session as he sponsored House Bill No. 4058, or the General Appropriations Act of 2026.
According to Gatchalian, the committee trimmed ₱55.91 billion from DPWH’s funds — a move he said was necessary to ensure “efficiency and more responsible spending.”
Red Flags in Public Works Projects
The DPWH originally asked for a massive ₱881.31 billion under the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program. But after closer review, that amount was reduced due to questionable flood control projects and other irregularities.
“During the hearings, we found several red flags,” Gatchalian revealed.
“There were roads with no station IDs, duplicate projects, and even reappearing items from previous budgets. Some projects had multiple phases that didn’t make sense.”
He also mentioned that President Marcos recently ordered the DPWH to lower material costs for infrastructure projects — a directive the committee factored into the budget cut.
To prevent future irregularities, all DPWH projects must now include station numbers, bridge IDs, and school IDs in official reports.
Education Gets the Biggest Share
While infrastructure saw a reduction, education emerged as the biggest winner in the 2026 budget.
The House of Representatives earlier approved a record-breaking ₱6.793 trillion national budget, with ₱1.38 trillion—or about 20% of the total—allocated to the education sector.
“This is 20% of the national budget, or 4.5% of GDP — the highest in our history,” Gatchalian proudly said.
As stated in the 1987 Constitution, education must always be the top priority in government spending — a principle the Senate upheld.
Cutting “Unprogrammed Funds” to Curb Corruption
Another major move by the Senate committee was reducing unprogrammed funds — allocations often criticized for their lack of transparency.
From ₱243 billion under the House version, the Senate slashed it to ₱174.5 billion, cutting over ₱68.5 billion.
“Unprogrammed funds had turned into a magnet for corruption,” Gatchalian admitted.
“In 2023, ₱25.25 billion in flood control projects came from these funds. By 2024, that number skyrocketed to ₱85.78 billion.”
A Push for Transparency and Public Trust
The 2026 proposed national budget stands at ₱6.793 trillion, a 7.4% increase from last year — or about ₱467 billion more.
To make sure every peso is properly tracked, the Senate has introduced several transparency initiatives, including Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4, which requires all vital budget documents to be posted online.
The Senate Budget Transparency Portal has also been launched — giving the public access to livestreams of hearings and copies of both the National Expenditure Program (NEP) and the House’s General Appropriations Bill.
“The national budget is more than a purse,” Gatchalian said. “It reflects our nation’s priorities — and those priorities must mirror the hopes and dreams of our people.”
He ended with a promise:
“We are determined to restore what has been lost — leadership, accountability, and transparency. The first step to rebuilding public trust is to show that every peso is spent responsibly, and that the people know exactly where their money goes.”
