DPWH to purge incomplete projects from 2027 budget under Ejercito deal

Senator JV Ejercito, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, reached an agreement with newly appointed Public Works Secretary Giovanni Lopez on Friday to remove infrastructure projects with unmet documentary requirements from the proposed 2027 national budget.

The commitment represents an effort to streamline the budget process and ensure that only fully prepared projects advance to the next fiscal year. Ejercito's push for stricter compliance standards reflects growing concerns about infrastructure spending efficiency and project readiness across government agencies.

The DPWH, which oversees the Philippines' major public works initiatives, will conduct a review of all proposed projects to identify those falling short of documentary standards. Projects deemed noncompliant will be excluded from the 2027 appropriations bill currently under legislative review.

The agreement underscores the importance of proper project preparation and documentation in preventing budget delays and implementation challenges. Infrastructure projects that fail to meet requirements will have the opportunity to resubmit in future budget cycles once their documentation is complete.

As Finance Committee chair, Ejercito has been instrumental in scrutinizing budget proposals to ensure taxpayer funds are allocated responsibly and spent on projects ready for immediate implementation.