The bicameral conference committee postponed its Monday session due to a deadlock over the 2026 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Senate Finance Committee chair Win Gatchalian said.
Lawmakers clashed over the agency’s request to reverse the ₱45 billion cuts imposed by the Senate on the House version of DPWH’s budget.
Senators insisted on maintaining the cuts, while the House argued that implementing them could make as many as 10,000 projects worth around ₱400 billion unimplementable.
The dispute centers on the revised construction materials price data (CMPD) submitted by DPWH, which the Senate used to justify its reductions. The House contended that the Senate applied the reductions across the board in error.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon stressed that the CMPD should be applied on a per-project basis, noting, “the costs of construction materials vary according to location.”