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Dizon seeks major cuts, overhaul of DPWH flood control budget for 2026

September 5, 2025 | 4:48pm

MANILA, Philippines — Newly-appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon agreed with House lawmakers that the 2026 budget for flood control projects should be slashed.

With duplicate items and questionable flood projects flagged, Dizon said the budget cannot stand as is.

“Malaki pong pagbaba ang dapat na mangyari dito sa flood control na budget na ito,” he said at the House budget briefing on Friday, September 5.

(There should be a significant reduction in this flood control budget.)

Dizon explained that the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) budget needs a major overhaul, noting that flood control already accounts for nearly 30% of its proposed P880-billion allocation under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“Kailangan po talagang repasuhin ang P268.3 billion na flood control budget. ‘Yan po ay kailangan po talaga, tingin ko, ay kailangan natin bawasan, without compromising ‘yung mga area na nangangailangan naman talaga,” he added.

(The P268.3-billion flood control budget really needs to be overhauled. I believe we need to reduce it, without compromising areas that are truly in need.)

Dizon assured the appropriations panel that flood control projects in the 2026 NEP have already been completed, but given appropriation anew, duplicated, or deemed inappropriate will be “immediately removed.”

When Rep. Nonoy Libanan (4Ps Party-list) noted that most proposed flood control projects overlook the country’s most flood-prone provinces, Dizon said the revised budget proposal will correct this.

“Kung meron man pong flood control projects ang dapat unahin dito ang pinaka nangangailangan ng flood control project. ‘Yan ay tingin ko common sense,” he said.

(If there are flood control projects to be prioritized, they should be in the areas that need them the most. I think that’s just common sense.)

The new public works chief also echoed House appropriations chair Rep. Mikaela Suansing (Nueva Ecija, 1st District) that the budget needs to be “science-based.”

If a certain flood control project is no longer needed in a certain location, Dizon said the agency will consider realigning funds to the maintenance of major roads and bridges.

Beyond the “erroneous entries” spotted by legislators, Dizon said the government lacks a master plan to guide the agency in determining where flood control projects are most needed.

Rep. Leila de Lima (ML Party-list), however, countered that former DPWH Secretary Babes Singson had left behind such a plan. Dizon clarified that he was just informed of a 2014 study covering Metro Manila and 18 river basins but said he does not believe it is being “used as the basis.”

“Again, allow me to be frank, Madam Chair, so this must change. … Kailangan po magkaroon na ng basehan at hindi na po arbitrary ang paglalagay ng mga proyekto, lalo na ang mga flood control sa iba’t ibang mga lugar sa Pilipinas,” he said.

(There must be a proper basis, and project placement should no longer be arbitrary, especially for flood control works in different parts of the Philippines.)

The roughly three-hour budget briefing was suspended and deferred to a little over a week from today to give the new DPWH enough time to review the budget, submit revisions and proposals before the next hearing.

Suansing gave DPWH a hard deadline of September 12, which is a week from today, to submit the revisions and proposals. However, the hearing may be set for September 15 or 16, she said.

Dizon assured they will comply with their request, considering that budget deliberations could face delays if agencies fail to correct erroneous entries before the congressional break.

Marcos directed the DPWH and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to conduct a "sweeping review" of the budget, which is second second-highest allocation in the 2026 budget.

He also ordered the creation of an independent commission to investigate the alleged corruption in the DPWH, prompting Dizon to stop the agency's own investigation as he believes it cannot probe itself.

Dizon also ordered a moratorium on the bidding of locally funded projects so the agency can study them first.