Manila: The proposed 2026 budget for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is still at a standstill in the bicameral conference committee, with legislators deciding to first deliberate on the budgets of other agencies.

According to Philippines News Agency, Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian stated that the Senate has not yet reached a decision on the DPWH's request to reinstate PHP45 billion in budget cuts. The agency recently submitted revised adjustment factors which must be validated and applied to thousands of projects. Gatchalian highlighted that the new submission includes hauling and logistics costs that were previously omitted, necessitating further analysis before any decisions can be made.

Gatchalian noted that the DPWH's budget remains on hold as the analysis is ongoing. He mentioned that discussions on the DPWH allocation will be temporarily set aside while the bicameral talks resume, with a focus on other agencies' budgets first. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed support for the bicameral leadership's stance on eliminating perceived excesses from the DPWH budget, emphasizing concerns over potential overpricing, raised by the executive branch, including President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Zubiri indicated that the Senate is unwilling to restore the PHP45 billion cut entirely without detailed, itemized recomputation. He asserted that the Senate is ready to delay the budget's passage if needed to ensure the final version of the 2026 General Appropriations Act is free from overpriced or excessive items and aligns with the administration's anti-corruption efforts. The DPWH budget has become a critical issue in the bicameral conference on the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act, following reductions based on construction materials price data adjustments. This prompted the agency to seek partial restoration, raising concerns about project implementation and pricing accuracy.