Senate President Win Gatchalian has sounded the alarm over what he called “red-flag” items in the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed budget for 2027.
Citing an extensive analytical assessment made by his office, Gatchalian emphasized the urgent need to scrutinize funding for government projects to effectively weed out systemic corruption, in view of controversies involving flood-control projects.
Out of the total 11,395 infrastructure projects evaluated under DPWH’s locally funded operations, with budget allocation amounting to P455.17 billion, more than 62%, or 7,107 projects, contained at least one major budgetary red flag, Gatchalian said. Projects with at least one red flag account for 55.3% of the DPWH’s total projects with a budget allocation of P251.81 billion, he revealed.
According to Gatchalian, DPWH projects with potential irregularity have been categorized by his office into 8 red flags.
Specifically, a review conducted by the senator’s office showed that a total of 2,570 projects, with a total budget allocation of P83.67 billion, had no station number or bridge ID (red flag number 1), which are necessary to establish location parameters.
Also, there were 189 items in the DPWH proposed budget that were duplicated, often with slight spelling changes (red flag number 2), involving a budget allocation of P3.94 billion. There were also 258 projects that reappeared from the 2026 General Appropriations Act to the 2027 proposed DPWH budget (red flag number 3). These projects had a budget allocation of P20.78 billion.
Based on the same analysis conducted by his office, there were 3,543 projects, with a total budget allocation of P83.5 billion, that had no geographical coordinates (red flag number 4), making physical verification and auditing impossible.
The same review showed that a total of 347 DPWH items were classified as lump-sum projects, without proper granular breakdown (red flag number 5), involving a budget allocation of P14.79 billion. Also, items classified as overlapping or fragmented projects (red flag number 6) totaled 533, with a budget allocation of P63.18 billion.
DPWH projects that had no specific construction work scope required (red flag number 7) numbered 62, with a budget allocation of P1.52 billion, while projects with conflicting types of work, often involving simultaneous construction and rehabilitation work on the same location (red flag number 8) numbered 20, with a budget allocation of P386.25 million.
Gatchalian, nagbabala laban sa mga “red-flag” na item sa iminungkahing badyet ng DPWH para sa 2027
Nagbabala si Senate President Win Gatchalian laban sa tinawag niyang mga “red-flag” na item sa iminungkahing badyet ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) para sa taong 2027.
Binigyang-diin ni Gatchalian, batay sa malawakang pagsusuring ginawa ng kanyang opisina, ang agarang pangangailangan na busisiin ang pondo para sa mga proyekto ng gobyerno upang epektibong maiwasan ang sistematikong korapsyon, partikular na sa gitna ng mga kontrobersiyang kinasasangkutan ng mga proyekto para sa flood-control.
Sa kabuuang 11,395 infrastructure projects na sinuri sa ilalim ng locally funded operations ng DPWH, na may inilaang badyet na P455.17 bilyon, mahigit 62%, o 7,107 proyekto, ang naglalaman ng hindi bababa sa isang malaking budgetary red flag. Inihayag din niya na ang mga proyektong may kahit isang red flag ay bumubuo sa 55.3% ng kabuuang mga proyekto ng DPWH na may inilaang badyet na P251.81 bilyon.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, ang mga proyekto ng DPWH na may potensyal na iregularidad ay hinati ng kanyang opisina sa 8 red flag.
Partikular na ipinakita sa pagsusuring isinagawa ng tanggapan ng senador na may kabuuang 2,570 proyekto, na may kabuuang budget na P83.67 bilyon, ang walang station number o bridge ID (red flag number 1), na kinakailangan upang matukoy ang mga parameter ng lokasyon nito.
Bukod dito, mayroong 189 na item sa iminungkahing budget ng DPWH ang nadoble, na kadalasang may kaunting pagkakaiba lang sa pagbabaybay (red flag number 2), at kinasasangkutan ng pondong nagkakahalaga ng P3.94 bilyon. Mayroon ding 258 proyekto na muling lumitaw mula sa 2026 General Appropriations Act patungo sa 2027 proposed DPWH budget (red flag number 3). Ang mga proyektong ito ay may nakalaang budget na P20.78 bilyon.
Base sa parehong pagsusuri ng kanyang opisina, mayroong 3,543 proyekto, na may kabuuang budget na P83.5 bilyon, ang walang geographical coordinates (red flag number 4), kaya naman imposible ang pisikal na pagpapatunay at pag-audit sa mga ito.
Ipinakita sa parehong pagsusuri na may kabuuang 347 item ng DPWH ang nasa kategoryang mga lump-sum project, nang walang maayos na detalye (red flag bilang 5), na may nakalaang budget na ₱14.79 bilyon. Bukod dito, ang mga item na dinala sa kategoryang mga nagkakapatong o pira-pirasong proyekto (overlapping or fragmented projects / red flag bilang 6) ay umabot sa kabuuang 533, na may nakalaang budget na ₱63.18 bilyon.
Ang mga proyekto ng DPWH na walang tiyak na saklaw ng gawaing konstruksiyon (red flag bilang 7) ay may bilang na 62, na may nakalaang budget na ₱1.52 bilyon, samantalang ang mga proyekto na may magkasalungat na uri ng trabaho, na kadalasang kinasasangkutan ng sabay na konstruksiyon at rehabilitasyon sa iisang lokasyon (red flag bilang 8), ay may bilang na 20, na may nakalaang budget na ₱386.25 milyon.
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Photo by Mark Cayabyab / OSP WIN GATCHALIAN
