In a bold move ahead of the final congressional vote on the 2026 national budget, Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste issued an open letter to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, calling for sweeping reforms in the agency’s budget practices.

Leviste’s letter, released Monday evening, demands that DPWH immediately issue a Department Order to reduce the Detailed Unit Price Analysis (DUPA) and Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) of all infrastructure projects by an average of 25%. He argues that inflated project costs are the root of systemic corruption, enabling 20–30% kickbacks—commonly referred to as “SOP”—through above-market pricing.

“Not lowering the prices, while knowing they are high, is tantamount to approving kickbacks,” Leviste wrote.

He estimates that a 25% cut could save ₱150 billion from the proposed ₱600 billion DPWH budget—enough to build 60,000 classrooms nationwide.

Leviste also pressed DPWH to disclose key budget data before Congress votes this Friday:

The budget allocation per congressional district in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP)

A breakdown of the ₱75 billion in added projects under the Convergence and Asset Preservation Programs

– Identification of project proponents, especially for “Non-Allocable” projects

He cited testimonies from former DPWH officials and district engineers confirming widespread budget insertions and rigged bidding processes, including contractor-sponsored projects priced at over ₱100 million per kilometer.

Leviste offered his own district as a pilot for reduced pricing, noting that ₱1.9 billion in potential savings from 2025 and 2026 projects could fund classrooms for every school in Batangas’ 1st District—without additional government spending.

“DPWH has the opportunity to make 2026’s budget truly different from 2025’s,” he emphasized.

The letter adds pressure on Secretary Dizon, who was appointed with hopes of reforming the agency, to act decisively before the budget is finalized.

With the congressional vote looming, Leviste’s appeal may galvanize further scrutiny of DPWH’s budget practices and test the administration’s commitment to transparency and fiscal discipline.