GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Two lawmakers from South Central Mindanao have allegedly secured a combined P15.6 billion in specialized “allocable” funds within the national budget from 2023 to 2025, according to a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) investigation.

Critics suggest these funds resemble a new, less transparent form of the abolished Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or “pork barrel.”

PCIJ data indicates that Sarangani Representative Steve Solon obtained the largest share, averaging P2.76 billion per year, totaling approximately P8.3 billion over the three-year period.

Following closely was General Santos City Representative Loreto “Ton” Acharon, whose average annual allocation was P2.44 billion, amounting to about P7.34 billion. Together, the combined P15.6 billion surpasses the annual budgets of several government agencies.

However, details regarding the allocation criteria, project prioritization, and selection process remain scarce, with little public announcement or open congressional debate surrounding the expenditures.

Reports suggest that an internal system, allegedly managed by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, determines the distribution of these funds.

This arrangement has been in effect since 2023, following the 2013 Supreme Court ruling that declared the PDAF unconstitutional.

Observers cited that the current system appears to revive similar mechanisms, routing billions of pesos through the DPWH budget and pre-assigning the amounts to specific congressional districts.

These allocations are only loosely connected to the President’s National Expenditure Program, the official budget proposal.

Reports also said that the criteria guiding these allocations are not publicly disclosed, leading to an uneven distribution where a few lawmakers, often political allies, secure billions while others receive only hundreds of millions of pesos.

Critics suggest this disparity functions as a political reward system, reinforcing support for the congressional majority.

Because the funds are embedded within the DPWH’s extensive budget and labeled broadly as “road improvement” or “bridge widening” across “multi-year projects,” tracking their actual use is challenging for ordinary citizens.

Despite the sizable allocations on paper for General Santos City and Sarangani, many residents allegedly remain unaware of the specific projects funded. Local officials report that they were not always consulted or informed about projects tied to the congressional funds.

Advocates are now urging Congress and the Department of Budget and Management to disclose detailed project lists, clarify allocation criteria, and implement mechanisms that allow citizens to track public spending effectively.