The Senate remains locked in deliberations over the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 2026 budget, with lawmakers carefully reviewing revised adjustment factors submitted by the agency amid the deadlock over nearly P45 billion the DPWH is seeking to restore.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian confirmed on Tuesday that the chamber is studying the revised figures before applying them to projects in the proposed spending plan.

“The DPWH submitted revised adjustment factors. We are studying them first. Once validated, we will apply them to the projects in the budget,” Gatchalian said in a Viber message to reporters. He stressed that the Senate’s priority is to ensure there are no overpriced items and that projects will be implementable.

“What is important to us is that there are no overpriced items and that projects can be implemented so our economy will not be affected,” he said.

The deadlock comes amid disagreements in the Bicameral Conference Committee over the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Bill.

The DPWH is seeking to restore a portion of its reduced budget following cuts to public works projects based on the updated Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD), which reflects current material and labor costs.

The agency said the trimmed budget would hamper the implementation of nearly 10,000 projects nationwide, including for flood control, roads and bridges.

Come back with correct figures

Senator Bam Aquino urged the DPWH to recompute its proposed budget and return to the bicameral talks with the correct project-level figures.

“If you have issues with our computation, then do your own computation. Do your job, compute the correct figures, and come back to us with the right budget,” Aquino said in a television interview.

He also stressed the need for a detailed breakdown of all projects, noting the DPWH’s claim of around 10,000 projects nationwide.

“We want the DPWH to come back to the table and give the proper computation. He (Dizon) said there are 10,000 projects. They should count them and tell us the real cost using the new CMPD,” he said.

Aquino said the issue stemmed from concerns over alleged anomalies in flood control projects, including overpricing and “ghost projects.”

“That’s why we’re in the middle of this flood control scandal — because some projects were overpriced and others did not exist. We just want to be sure that we sign off on budgets that are properly computed,” he said.

He also assured that some projects would not be delayed despite reduced funding, citing room for adjustments due to prior overpricing.

“There is room because it’s overpriced. Even if you remove 10 percent, it can still be implemented,” Aquino said.

He added, “Spend a few days. Do the computation, come back to us, and show us the real computation. From there, we will decide whether we will sign off or not.”

Dizon says sorry

In response, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon apologized for the deficiencies in the data submitted to the Senate Finance Committee.

“We acknowledge our oversight in providing only the regional adjustment factors and fully agree that this limited information was inadequate for the committee to accurately determine the specific, project-level adjustments for the nearly 10,000 affected projects,” the DPWH said in a statement.

Dizon said the additional project category-based data now incorporates key variables, including hauling distances, localized market behaviors, and labor costs, to provide a more realistic basis for funding.

“The DPWH is fully committed to transparency and to ensuring that all adjustments are made with technical integrity and operational feasibility,” he added.

Malacañang has backed the DPWH move to restore the budget, with Presidential spokesperson Undersecretary Claire Castro expressing support for the agency’s request.

Gatchalian said the Senate will study the revised figures carefully before applying them to the budget.

“The important thing for us is there are no overpriced items and that projects can be implemented so our economy is not affected,” he reiterated.

The bicameral conference committee resumed deliberations on Tuesday, with both the Senate and the DPWH working to reconcile project costs and budget allocations.

The lawmakers emphasized that only a properly validated, transparent, and technically sound budget will be approved for 2026.

Senators, solons hold closed-door meetings

Meanwhile, a controversy over an alleged “secret bicam” erupted Tuesday at the Philippine International Convention Center after senators and congressmen held closed-door meetings during deliberations on the proposed P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget, which was supposed to be livestreamed.

As of 6:30 p.m., on the third day of bicameral talks, there was still no visible activity at the venue. After more than three hours of waiting, a staff member from Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian’s office told reporters that “both chambers are having a meeting,” later clarifying that the Senate and the House were meeting separately.

The explanation drew criticism from journalists, with one pointing out that huddles outside the hearing were not being disclosed, raising transparency concerns. Gatchalian’s staff responded that both chambers were holding internal discussions to arrive at a unified position before going on record.