MANILA — Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste released a summary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget allocations per district from 2023 to 2026, totaling around P3.5 trillion.

Leviste said the data came from the DPWH with the approval of Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and included files originally in the possession of late DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral. The documents reportedly detail per-district allocations for infrastructure projects, including those under the 2026 House General Appropriations Bill.

“Narito po ang summary ng DPWH Budget per District ng 2023-2026. Dito po makikita kung saan napupunta ang DPWH budget na humigit-kumulang P3.5T, na katumbas ng P130,000 kada pamilyang Pilipino,” Leviste wrote on Facebook. He added that the figures cover capital outlays for local projects and do not include Personnel Services, Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, or Foreign-Assisted Projects.

Leviste said the documents align with the files “FY2023-2025 GAA Summary.pdf” and “FY 2026 DPWH HGAB summary by DEO_LD.pdf,” which were shared by the DPWH in response to budget deliberation requests.

The summary shows the largest regional allocations from 2023 to 2026 went to Central Luzon (P406.9 billion), Calabarzon (P341.8 billion), and Bicol Region (P272.3 billion). The lowest allocation was for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at P28.48 billion.

Leviste also listed districts with the highest allocations in each region, including Taguig 1st District (P18.43 billion) and Quezon City 4th District (P14.17 billion) in NCR, Ilocos Norte 1st District (P42.39 billion) in Ilocos Region, Abra lone district (P41.66 billion) in CAR, and Albay 2nd District (P44.10 billion) in Bicol Region, among others.

He thanked Dizon and the DPWH for pushing transparency, noting that the department is responsible for implementing projects and that high allocations do not automatically translate to benefits for individual lawmakers.

The release reignited a dispute with Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon. Leviste had previously accused Ridon of making P150-million road project insertions for Camarines Sur in the 2025 budget. Ridon denied the allegations, saying he could not have made insertions to the 2025 budget as he was not part of the 19th Congress when it was crafted in 2024.

“Ang original sin niya, he made a grave accusation of insertions on myself. It was never Bicol Saro. So he has to be made accountable for that,” Ridon told reporters. He rejected calls to resign as chairperson of the House Committee on Public Accounts.

Leviste clarified on Facebook that his earlier statement referred to the Bicol Saro party-list, not Ridon personally. He urged a Public Accounts Committee hearing to investigate road projects in Camarines Sur, stressing that all congressmen commonly submit infrastructure projects for DPWH consideration.

“It is clear, Bicol Saro party-list is part of the 19th Congress, and it’s not really an accusation…every Congressman has a submission to the DPWH budget,” Leviste said, adding that the DPWH utilizes the budget per district, and any allocation does not automatically benefit the proponent.