(UPDATE) THE House of Representatives has deferred the proposed P881-billion budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2026 pending a review by both the DPWH and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The motion was raised by Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima before the House Committee on Appropriations.

“I’m compelled to present a motion for this Committee to direct, and compel the DBM and [the] DPWH to submit any errata, any amendment, any new proposals, any new provisions, respecting the DPWH budget. I firmly submit that this Committee has every right to compel, because this Committee has already lawfully acquired jurisdiction over the budget, over the NEP (National Expenditure Program),” de Lima said.

She said the DBM and DPWH cannot decline jurisdiction over the budget, since the House has the “sole and exclusive power of the purse.”

House panel defers 2026 DPWH budget until agency submit changes

The appropriations committee chairman, Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, granted de Lima’s motion and directed the DPWH to submit any errata or amendment to its budget on or before Sept. 12.

Suansing also said the panel will resume consideration of the DPWH’s budget by Sept. 16., This news data comes from:http://www.yamato-syokunin.com

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon agreed to the House’s proposal, stating that some lawmakers saw that allocations for flood control projects in the 2026 NEP were not “planned thoroughly.”

Dizon cited as an example Maguindanao, a flood-prone area, which was allocated a small budget.

Suansing has advocated the use of Project NOAH (National Operational Assessment of Hazards) of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute in identifying flood control projects for funding.

Dizon agreed, saying Project NOAH “is credible. They know the areas which are flood prone.”

He earlier vowed to the appropriations committee to carry out reforms not only on the budget process, but also on project management.

He assured that foreign-assisted projects would continue and increase its appropriations in the 2026 budget.

In another development involving flawed flood control projects, the House Committee on Infrastructure has summoned Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya, the president of Alpha & Omega General Contractor and Development Corp., to its next hearing on Sept. 9.

House panel defers 2026 DPWH budget until agency submit changes

The subpoena was signed by committee chairman and Bicol Saro Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon, and co-chairmen Romeo Momo Sr., Joel Chua and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Also issued subpoenas were Miguel Juntura, president of St. Timothy Construction Corp.; Eumir Villanueva, chairman and president of top-notch Catalyst Builders Inc.; Mark Allan Arevalo, president of Wawao Builders Corp.; and Sally Santos, owner of SYMS Construction Trading.

They are being accused of amassing billions of pesos from “ghost” flood control projects.

An immigration lookout bulletin was also issued to Santos and former Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board executive director Herbert Matienzo.