Senate Committee on Finance chair Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is planning to reduce the DPWH budget due to alleged overpriced projects. They also plan to transfer other projects to other agencies to facilitate accountability. He said they are reviewing the work programs and if there is an overpricing, they will reduce it 10% to 20% depending on the overpricing.
According to Gatchalian, this will help in lower national budget and budget deficit. For example, the DPWH's budget this year 2026 is approximately ₱800 billion, which has decreased after the elimination of flood control funds. TIKAS projects, hospital projects, and other special projects will also be placed in other agencies for better management.
In addition, Gatchalian also plans to eliminate Unprogrammed Appropriations to prevent fund abuse. He also advises not to certify the budget as urgent so that legislators have more time to review and make changes. Gatchalian believes that this way, the process will be more transparent and orderly before the budget is approved before Christmas.
