THE House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday pressed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to strengthen safeguards on the use of its proposed P643.95-billion budget for 2027, as lawmakers sought greater transparency, efficiency and accountability in infrastructure spending.
The proposed allocation is 21.34 percent higher than the DPWH’s budget for the current year.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said P83.84 billion of the proposed budget would fund local flood mitigation programs, while P19 billion would go to ongoing foreign-assisted flood mitigation projects.
Dizon said the department has introduced reforms to ensure that only properly prepared and implementable projects receive funding.
The DPWH has scrapped its previous parametric formula for budget allocation and replaced it with a Project Evaluation System that subjects proposed projects to stricter technical and documentary requirements.
These include an approved and complete program of work, validated geotagged photographs with coordinates, a master plan, a feasibility study or equivalent local plan, and a Certificate of Implementability.
The certification is intended to prevent duplication of projects and identify potential implementation problems, including unresolved right-of-way issues.
Dizon acknowledged that the stricter screening process could slow project implementation but said the safeguards were necessary to ensure that public funds are spent only on projects that are ready for implementation.
The DPWH chief also proposed placing ongoing infrastructure projects under Multi-Year Contractual Authority (MYCA) arrangements to provide greater funding certainty for projects requiring several years to complete.
He said MYCA would help prevent disruptions caused by funding reductions or changes in succeeding annual budgets, allowing ongoing projects to continue until completion.
During the briefing, Surigao del Sur Rep. Romeo Momo Sr., vice chair of the Appropriations Committee and chair of the House Committee on Public Works and Highways, also called for stronger pre-construction activities.
Momo said local officials and residents should be properly informed and consulted before construction begins, particularly on a project’s purpose, scope and expected impact on the community.
The budget briefing was presided over by Momo and held under the House Appropriations Committee chaired by Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing.
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