Amid Reduced DPWH Budget for 2026, Department Still Gets Second Highest Budget
DPWH
– The Department of Public Works and Highways gets second highest budget for 2026 amid the flood control mess in the Philippines.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong”
Marcos Jr. has signed the proposed P6.79 trillion budget for 2026
. The Malacañang Palace previously claimed that Marcos Jr. spent his Christmas holidays working for the review of the budget approved by the bicameral conference committee.
The ceremonial signing held at the Malacañang Palace yesterday, January 5, 2026, came after a week of a reenacted budget running the country. The finance authorities previously claimed that it won’t have much negative impacts on the nation.
After signing the P6.79 trillion budget for 2026,
Marcos Jr. announced his order to junk the
Padrino System
in the government
. According to him, politicians are no longer allowed to distribute cash aid and other forms of assistance.
Out of the P6.79 trillion national budget for 2026, the DPWH still have the second highest budget for 2026. It is amid the claim of Public Works Sec. Vince Dizon that the approved budget of the department is over P300 billion lower than their main proposal.
Based on a report on PhilStar, here are the 2026 budget of the different key departments in the government including the DPWH:
Department of Education — P1.015 trillion
Department of Public Works and Highways — P530.9 billion
Department of Health — P448.1 billion
Department of the Interior and Local Government — P310.5 billion
Department of National Defense — P310.0 billion
Department of Agriculture — P297.1 billion
Department of Social Welfare and Development — P270.2 billion
Department of Transportation — P141.0 billion
Department of Labor and Employment — P73.6 billion
Judiciary — P70.6 billion
Based on the
report
, the DPWH originally asked for P850 billion for 2026. It was initially reduced when Pres. Bongbong Marcos ordered a sweeping review of the department’s budget proposal amid the flood control mess.
Marcos Jr. vetoed 7 out of 10 unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget. Here are the UAs rejected by the President:
Budgetary Support for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations: P6.895 billion
CARS Program (Automotive Industry Support): P4.32 billion
Payment of Personnel Services Requirements: P43.245 billion
Government Counterpart for Certain Foreign-Assisted Projects: P35.77 billion
RACE Program (Automotive Industry Competitiveness): P250 million
Insurance of Government Assets and Interests: P2 billion
Ralph Recto claimed that Marcos Jr. did not just sign the 2026 national budget
but examined and studied it.