Following the approval of the P6.326 trillion national budget for 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has pledged to diligently build essential infrastructure that will drive national development and efficiently use the funds allocated to the agency under the 2025 General Appropriations Act or the National Budget.
In a statement, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan expressed gratitude for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the legislators’ trust and confidence in the department.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that these funds are used wisely, efficiently, and professionally in the most transparent manner, proving ourselves deserving of the trust placed in us. We are committed to making every cent count by delivering quality infrastructure that drives national progress,” Bonoan stated.
He assured that the DPWH will continue to work diligently in support of the Bagong Pilipinas agenda, advancing infrastructure projects that uplift the lives of Filipinos.
President Marcos vetoed approximately P26 billion in appropriations under the DPWH, which were deemed not fully supportive of the administration’s eight-point socio-economic agenda. Bonoan noted that these projects require further scrutiny and must be ready for implementation.
“These are some of the projects not ready for implementation at this point. So, these are projects that we have deferred,” Bonoan explained.
Additionally, there are P168 billion worth of projects classified as unprogrammed appropriations (UA), which were also vetoed by the President. The UA increased to 300 percent during the bicameral conference, making it almost 10 percent of the total budget. It was subsequently reduced to align with the five percent standby fund, making it roughly 4.7 percent of the total budget.
In his speech, President Marcos emphasized that he vetoed appropriations not responsive to the people’s needs. He also pursued conditional implementation on certain items to ensure public funds are utilized according to authorized purposes.
