PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday vowed to restore the P47 billion slashed from the 2025 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that are intended to fund foreign-assisted projects, especially those that “will make a difference to people’s lives.”
The DPWH’s appropriation for its Programs, Activities, and Projects (PAPs) this year was reduced by Congress to P23 billion from P70 billion.
Marcos said the budget cut affected planned payments for right-of-way (ROW); contractual obligations, Value Added Tax, and other taxes; pre-feasibility studies (FS), feasibility studies and primary and detailed engineering; public-private partnership strategic support fund; and the KAlsada TUngo sa PAliparan, Riles, at DaungAN (KATUPARAN) program.
It also covers the agency’s Bridge Program, Network Development Program, Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP), Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industry and Trade (ROLL-IT) Program, and foreign-assisted projects.
Marcos said he wants the DPWH to prioritize the PAPs, particularly the foreign assisted initiatives, that “will make a difference to people’s lives” the most.
He also wants priority to be given to those concerning the maintenance of agency projects, feasibility studies, and right of way issues.
The Department of Transportation (DOTR) had previously raised similar issues after its budget for foreign-assisted infrastructure projects were reduced by Congress.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista had said they will sustain the projects using loan proceeds to prevent any delays in the implementation of the flagship programs.