BATANGAS City — THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Batangas is seeking a ₱30-billion budget for 2026 to fund critical infrastructure projects across the province.
In a consultative meeting with civil society organizations and local government officials on Feb. 18, DPWH outlined the proposed projects per district: ₱5.01 billion for the First District, ₱8.76 billion for the Second District, ₱6.98 billion for the Third District, and ₱9.91 billion for the Fourth District.
According to DPWH, the First District budget includes major road projects such as Tuy Diversion Road, Nasugbu-Lian-Calatagan Road, Balayan-Balibago Road, and Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road. Funds are allocated for road widening, flood mitigation, and port development to improve accessibility and economic activity.
The Second District has 222 proposed projects under the Asset Preservation Program, focusing on road rehabilitation, slope protection, flood control, and bridge construction. Key projects include work on Batangas-Lobo Road, Bauan-Mabini Road, and national road drainage systems.
The Third District budget will support primary, secondary, and tertiary road improvements, road widening, bypass and diversion road construction, and bridge rehabilitation. This includes missing road links and off-carriageway enhancements to improve traffic flow and safety.
The Fourth District will implement 72 major projects, including preventive maintenance on national roads, flood mitigation, and bridge construction. Notable projects include work on Manila-Batangas Road, Batangas-Quezon Road, Rosario-San Juan Road, and several bridges such as Icarbang, Yaboc, and Bacao.
Engineer Benson Tesnado from the DPWH Third District Engineering Office, said that some of these projects were initially proposed in previous years but have yet to be approved.
Citing delays in the implementation of other infrastructure projects, Tesnado expressed hope that the budget allocation would be approved to improve mobility and transportation in the province.
“Kami po sa DPWH ay hindi sumusuko sa pag-request ng mga pondo at mga proyekto. Sana po sa susunod na mga pagkakataon ay magkaroon ng pondo ang mga pino-propose natin para sa ikakaganda ng mga distrito sa Batangas,” Tesnado explained.
He specifically mentioned the Taal Circumferential Road project, which has faced delays in its target completion due to insufficient budget allocations from the DPWH Central Office.
The DPWH also stated that the proposed funds will support the construction of key government facilities for the Department of Health Region IV-A and the Department of Trade and Industry IV-A.| – (BDC, PIA Batangas)
