DPWH RECEIVES SECOND-HIGHEST BUDGET AT P530.9 BILLION DESPITE 2025 SCANDAL

The Department of Public Works and Highways will receive P530.9 billion in the 2026 national budget, making it the second-largest allocation after the Department of Education’s P1.015 trillion, even after the 2025 flood control corruption scandal. Originally seeking P850 billion, DPWH’s budget was reduced, with portions redirected to Education, Health, Agriculture, and Social Welfare and Development or recorded as material savings, while some funds for foreign-assisted projects remain under DPWH. The agency will now be overseen by Secretary Vince Dizon, appointed in mid-2024, and continues to face scrutiny over past kickback schemes involving bogus projects. Other top budgeted agencies for 2026 include the Department of Health (P448.1B), DILG (P310.5B), and Department of National Defense (P310B). Lawmakers and watchdog groups continue to call for greater accountability and reallocation of funds toward social services in light of the scandal.