THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has asked the House Committee on Appropriations for more time to review its proposed budget for 2026.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon sent a letter to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and House appropriations panel chairperson Mikaela Suansing, asking them to allow the agency to submit the revised budget programs on September 15, 2025, instead of the initial deadline on September 12.
"Considering the volume of items and documents requiring review, together with other matters that must likewise be addressed by the department, it is respectfully requested that the deadline for the submission of the revised budget programs be extended to 15 September 2025 (Monday)," the letter read.
“We respectfully seek the kind consideration of the Committee on Appropriations in granting this request. Rest assured of the department's unwavering commitment to ensuring that the budget submission is accurate, transparent, and fully aligned with the administration's priorities,” it added.
Leaders of the House of Representatives earlier said they are inclined to return the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which contains the proposed P6.7-trillion budget for the upcoming year, to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the correction of some erroneous entries.
Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Representative Ronaldo Puno earlier noted the zero allocations for multi-year programs, as well as provisions allocating budgets to government projects that are already finished, in the 2026 NEP.
During the briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 NEP on September 2, lawmakers in the Senate flagged several “suspicious” items in the DPWH flood control projects, particularly those with similar costings and duplications.
This prompted President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to order the DPWH and the DBM to conduct a sweeping review of the agency’s proposed budget.
Marcos said that under the 2026 NEP, there will be no new budget for flood control projects; instead, the unused funds allocated for flood-mitigating programs will be exhausted. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)