Tiangco: Why House still hasn’t published DPWH projects list?

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker on Saturday questioned why the House of Representatives has yet to post on its official website the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget per congressional district and the projects endorsed by party-list representatives.

In a statement, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said he had requested the information to be published on the House website since Oct. 13, but “nothing has been posted.”

It may be recalled that Tiangco challenged the House to also publish on its website the DPWH budget allocated to party-list congressmen to prevent a repeat of the controversial 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) under the watch of former House appropriations chair and now-resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co.

READ: Zaldy Co is proponent of P13.8B insertions in 2025 budget – Tiangco

Specifically, Tiangco alleges that portions of the DPWH budget are earmarked for pet projects by district congressmen and party-list representatives, making it vulnerable to manipulation and corruption.

His call follows heightened scrutiny of the DPWH budget, which was rife with irregularities and anomalies, particularly for flood control projects.

Tiangco said he also wrote to House appropriations chair and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing on Oct. 20 but has yet to receive a response, despite Section 5(a) of Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, which mandates that officials respond to public inquiries within 15 working days.

“More than 15 days have passed, and I should have received a reply. But as of now, there’s still no response and no publication on the Congress website of the budget per district and party-list,” he said.

“Why won’t they publish it? What are they hiding? If this is not posted, then the claimed transparency is not real,” the lawmaker added.

Tiangco said his request has taken on new urgency after learning about two projects in his district worth P3 million each that neither he nor the district engineer requested.

READ: Leviste: Original DPWH budget had lower funds for bigger provinces

Apart from Tiangco, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste has also been vocal in demanding that this list be made public to show which districts have cornered the bulk of the DPWH’s P881-billion budget for 2026.

As of writing, only House Bill No. 4058, the lower chamber’s version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, has been published on the congressional website. /jpv