The House of Representatives has officially approved the Department of Transportation’s proposed P300.96 billion budget for 2027. As with regular proceedings, the proposal will still need to pass through the Senate and the Office of the President before any funds are ratified.
In case you missed it, the DOTr has been strongly advocating for a revised financial plan, as the Department of Budget and Management defunded several projects in the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP). These include the EDSA Busway, the Service Contracting Program, the Fuel Subsidy Program, and the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan.
The agency’s latest proposal has allotted P1.756 billion for the EDSA Busway, while P5 billion has been set aside for service contracting and another P5 billion for fuel subsidies. The Philippine Road Safety Action Plan will also receive P111.29 million if no further revisions are made.
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Right-of-way acquisitions are another underfunded initiative, as the DBM has only earmarked P2.79 billion for it in 2027. The DOTr is eyeing to raise that allocation to P98.5 billion, with several big-ticket projects continuing next year.
Those include the ongoing construction of the Metro Manila Subway and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), as well as the extension of the Manila Light Rail Transit Line 1. The NSCR itself is already facing delays, although the first of its train cars has already arrived in the Philippines.
Ultimately, completing these projects is still top of mind for the DOTr. Agency secretary Giovanni Lopez reiterated this commitment to the House: “Tinitiyak natin sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy tayo sa ating pagsisikap na pabilisin ang pagkumpleto ng mga proyektong magpapaginhawa sa byahe ng ating mga komyuter.”
