Solon: House must explain infra cuts

Where did the P131.5 billion removed from foreign-assisted infrastructure projects in the proposed 2027 national budget go?

Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab raised the question after the House of Representatives slashed funding for major roads, bridges, railways and flood-control projects, demanding that lawmakers disclose who proposed the amendments and which programs received the funds.

“Where did each peso go? Who proposed each amendment? How much will Filipinos pay for delays and commitment fees?” Ungab asked.

The House reduced funding for foreign-assisted projects by nearly 34 percent, from P387.3 billion to P255.8 billion, despite existing financing arrangements with international development partners.

Ungab argued that the House had targeted projects that underwent years of planning, feasibility studies and government evaluation instead of addressing questionable last-minute budget insertions.

Ungab’s challenge comes amid growing scrutiny of the House-approved P7.2-trillion national budget, with Senate Finance Committee chairperson Senator JV Ejercito earlier flagging approximately P206 billion in realignments.

Senate will restore cuts

The Senate may still restore the reduced allocations during its deliberations on the spending bill.

For Ungab, however, the immediate question remains whether the House can justify removing billions from projects developed over decades without disclosing where the money was redirected.

“Disregarding a masterplan takes only one period of amendment. Building one takes decades,” he said.

Some of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects, including the Metro Manila Subway, North-South Commuter Railway and Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, face substantial funding reductions under the House-approved 2027 national budget.

Figures show that the Department of Public Works and Highways absorbed the largest cut, P73.8 billion, equivalent to 64 percent of its foreign-assisted project budget.