Statement of Marcos Jr. on Alleged “Overpriced” Materials Found in DPWH Projects
MARCOS JR. – Ahead of his departure for Malaysia, the President claimed that he ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to lower the costs of the materials for its projects.
Amid the flood control issue in the Philippines that angered countless Filipinos, then-Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan left the top post in the DPWH. He was replaced with Vince Dizon, the former chief of the Department of Transportation.
The Department of Public Works and Highways is the center of criticism amid the supposed multi-billion flood control scam. Netizens even noticed the big change in the appearance of DPWH chief Vince Dizon amid the many problems of the agency. Even its proposed budget for 2026 was subject for a “sweeping review”.
Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. previously ordered a sweeping review of the proposed budget of the DPWH for 2026. The order came after claims that there were allegedly items that seek budget appropriations for projects that are already finished.
Following the budget review, the DPWH cut its proposed budget by P252 billion down to P625.8 billion. Dizon also proposed the reallocation of the P252 billion to other key sectors. Recently, the President revealed his order to the agency ahead of his flight for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Marcos Jr. revealed that he ordered the DPWH to lower the costs of the materials for its projects before he departs for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The President is set to attend the ASEAN Summit.
According to him, his order to DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon came after some materials were found to be “overpriced”. The President mentioned cement, steel bar, and asphalt as among the materials that were supposedly having huge costs.
“In order to ensure that the costs of DPWH will reflect the costs of the market and to ensure that the people’s money is correctly spent, I have directed the DPWH Secretary to bring down the cost of materials by as much as 50 percent which will result in savings in the Capital Outlay spending of at least thirty to forty-five billion pesos,” Marcos Jr. expressed.
Pres. Bongbong Marcos stressed that the money that can be saved from reducing the costs of the overpriced materials for the DPWH projects can be used for services such as education, health, and food. Based on the report, the Chief Executive also urged the agency to file charges against the individuals “who have perpetrated corruption”.
Amid the flood control issue in the Philippines, the Department of Education or DepEd slammed the DPWH for having only built 22 classrooms out of the 1,700 target for this year.