Workers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is closely monitoring the implementation of 551 small-scale infrastructure projects nationwide worth over P730.44 million using the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel made available to members of Congress.
“So far, not a single PDAF-funded DPWH project has been linked to any irregularities,” according to Elizabeth Pilorin, chief of the department’s Public information Division and Stakeholders Relations Service.
The P10-billion pork barrel scam involving businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and her network of fake nongovernment organizations has so far been linked mostly to agriculture and livelihood projects.
In a report posted on its website, the agency disclosed that Caraga topped the list of project beneficiaries with a total of 95 projects, followed by Northern Mindanao, 91; Soccsksargen, 82; Western Mindanao, 59; Western Visayas, 46; Southern Tagalog, 39; Cagayan Valley, 35; Cordillera Administrative Region, 33; National Capital Region, 26; Ilocos, 11; Eastern Visayas, 10; Bicol, eight; Central Visayas and Mimaropa, five each; and Central Luzon and the Davao region, three each.
However, it was the National Capital Region (NCR), or Metro Manila, which got the biggest budget allocation with nearly P110 million. Next was Southern Tagalog with P93.3 million, followed by Caraga with P91.3 million; Bicol, P71.9 million; Western Mindanao, P71.5 million; Western Visayas, P56.7 million; Eastern Visayas, P53.7 million; Northern Mindanao, P51.5 million; CAR, P34.3 million; Cagayan Valley, P31 million; Soccsksargen, P27.8 million; Central Luzon, P15 million; Ilocos, P9.6 million; Mimaropa, P5.1 million; Davao, P5 million; and Central Visayas, P2.75 million.