Congress backs hike in DOTr’s 2026 budget

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has secured initial support from Congress to approve its nearly P200-billion budget for 2026, the bulk of which will fund big-ticket railways.

Quezon City Rep. Franz Pumaren, who chairs the House committee on transportation, is backing the passage of the P196.27-billion appropriation for the DOTr for next year.

In a recent interview with reporters, Pumaren said the DOTr is breaching the 60-percent level in budget utilization, putting it on track to spend everything by the end of the year.

“This year, I’m impressed and we are impressed (because) the DOTr’s utilization is reaching 60 percent now, so they are right on target and the funds are being used properly. As chairman of the transportation committee, I will fight to retain the budget in the proposal,” Pumaren said.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the DOTr could no longer afford a budget cut because it would further delay the delivery of big-ticket projects.

Last year, the DOTr asked for a budget of P180.14 billion, but it was cut by more than half to P87.24 billion.

Dizon said the bulk of the projects, totaling P136 billion, are funded by foreign partners, such as the P873.6-billion North-South Commuter Railway and the P488.5-billion Metro Manila Subway Project.

As the DOTr increases its utilization, Dizon guaranteed lawmakers that his agency would spend its budget as fast and efficiently as it could.

“We have to use the budget properly and quickly because if we don’t, I think we have no right to ask for a higher funding,” Dizon said.

Based on the National Expenditure Program for 2026, the DOTr will allocate the highest funding for railways at P124.12 billion.

The agency will also spend P8.51 billion for maritime projects and P6.17 billion for aviation infrastructure.

The DOTr will also place P5.67 billion in land public transport and P2.7 billion in motor vehicle regulation. The agency will also build new active transport facilities, particularly bike lanes and pedestrian walkways, through a P67.38-million proposal.

The DOTr is trying to catch up with the delays in the completion of big-ticket projects, which are mostly suffering from right-of-way gaps.

The subway, for instance, is pushed back to as far as 2032, but the DOTr is close to resolving all of the issues in property acquisition to expedite civil works.