THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said its proposed 2027 budget would be primarily used in closing gaps in flood control infrastructure built under different administrations.
“The priority of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is closing the gaps and finishing the unfinished,” Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said.
Citing the flood control projects along the Pampanga River as an example, Dizon said the new funding was meant for the completion of missing sections.
The funds, he said, would cover the cost of joining separate sections and would not entail duplicate spending.
“We will not allow that,” Dizon said.
Dizon said the identification of irregularities in infrastructure projects is a continuing process.
The Office of the Ombudsman, he added, is processing nearly 200 cases for possible filing of charges.
“This is non-stop. But we have to do it. We have to do our jobs,” Dizon said.
Dizon said that in preparing the 2027 budget, the DPWH consulted with local government units (LGUs) before allocating funds for any infrastructure project.
“No project can be submitted by us without consultation and clearance from the LGU, and projects that lack the required documents would not be included in the proposed budget,” Dizon said in response to local officials who claimed they were not notified to review proposed infrastructure projects.
He said the aim of the DPWH is to align infrastructure spending with actual needs, address gaps, and prevent the duplication of funding.
