Rep. Reynante Arrogancia pushes review of unused infrastructure funds for DPWH

By Engr. Jay B. Laurino Quezon Rep. Reynante Arrogancia discusses infrastructure fund utilization during a House budget briefing. (Reyna...

By Engr. Jay B. Laurino

Quezon Rep. Reynante Arrogancia discusses infrastructure fund utilization during a House budget briefing. (Reynan Arrogancia)

LUCENA CITY, Quezon - Congress is examining underutilized infrastructure appropriations across government agencies as lawmakers search for additional money that can be shifted to projects ready for implementation under the proposed 2027 national budget. Quezon Rep. Reynante Arrogancia said the review would target funds agencies have been unable to use while preserving allocations still required for their existing programs and priority projects.

Arrogancia, a vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, identified the Department of Transportation, Department of Agriculture, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority among the agencies whose infrastructure spending may be examined. Lawmakers would review their fund utilization before deciding whether unused appropriations can be redirected to the Department of Public Works and Highways or other government purposes.

The review forms part of the House search for additional infrastructure funding as Congress considers the proposed 2027 national spending program. Arrogancia’s proposal focuses on whether existing appropriations that implementing agencies cannot fully utilize may instead be deployed for projects ready to proceed.

Arrogancia said lawmakers would examine how much infrastructure funding agencies have actually utilized before considering any realignment. The review would focus on appropriations that implementing agencies have been unable to put to use.

“Actually, we’re going to look for the agencies na may mga infrastructure projects. Siguro we will look for DOTr, we will look for DA, NIA, and I think we have the DICT and MMDA,” Arrogancia said.

Unused appropriations may become available for realignment when an implementing agency cannot deploy all of its infrastructure funding, according to Arrogancia. The approach would allow Congress to move money toward projects or agencies positioned to use the allocation.

“At kung hindi nila nagagamit ang lahat ng funds na ito, ibig sabihin kailangan natin itong i-realign or gamitin muna sa ibang agency para magamit siya ng DPWH o ng anumang purpose,” Arrogancia said.

Arrogancia stressed that the search for additional funding should not come at the expense of programs that source agencies still need to carry out. Any amount considered for transfer would have to exclude money necessary to preserve the agency’s overall program.

“Another thing, kung sakaling may mahanap tayong pondo, titiyakin natin na lahat ng pondong mahanap natin ay hindi makakaapekto doon sa kabuuang programa ng isang ahensya natin na pagkukuhanan natin ng pondo,” Arrogancia said.

The proposed DPWH budget for 2027 stands at ₱643.95 billion as Congress continues deliberations on the national spending program. The infrastructure funding review was discussed during a House briefing conducted as part of congressional deliberations on the proposed 2027 budget.