DECEMBER 26, 2025 — Batangas Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has made public a new trove of budget documents linked to the late Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, detailing how the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) funds were parceled out across districts and regions from 2023 to 2026.

The files, which Leviste said came from Cabral’s office and were later confirmed by DPWH officials, outline a staggering ₱3.5 trillion in infrastructure allocations — equivalent to about ₱130,000 per Filipino family.

According to the summary, Central Luzon received the largest slice at ₱406.9 billion, followed by Calabarzon with ₱341.8 billion, and the Bicol Region at ₱272.3 billion.

Other allocations include:

• National Capital Region (NCR): ₱231.4 billion
• Eastern Visayas: ₱214.3 billion
• Northern Mindanao: ₱214.1 billion
• Mimaropa: ₱202.9 billion
• Ilocos Region: ₱188.6 billion
• Cagayan Valley: ₱178.3 billion
• Central Visayas: ₱177.2 billion
• Davao Region: ₱169.2 billion
• Caraga: ₱149.1 billion
• Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): ₱119.9 billion
• Western Visayas: ₱111.8 billion
• Soccksargen: ₱109.7 billion
• Zamboanga Peninsula: ₱93.94 billion
• Negros Island Region (NIR): ₱91.82 billion
• BARMM: ₱28.48 billion

Unprogrammed appropriations for 2023–2024 reached ₱213.8 billion.

The documents also break down which districts benefited most:

• NCR: Taguig City 1st District (₱18.43B), Quezon City 4th District (₱14.17B), Valenzuela City 1st District (₱9.707B)
• Ilocos Region: Ilocos Norte 1st District (₱42.39B), La Union 2nd District (₱23.45B), Ilocos Norte 2nd District (₱18.18B)
• CAR: Abra lone district (₱41.66B), Benguet lone district (₱20.33B), Apayao lone district (₱15.44B)
• Cagayan Valley: Nueva Vizcaya lone district (₱27.86B), Isabela 4th District (₱19.75B), Isabela 1st District (₱18.34B)
• Central Luzon: Bulacan 3rd District (₱33.07B), Zambales 2nd District (₱33.00B), Tarlac 2nd District (₱29.95B)
• Calabarzon: Quezon 1st District (₱26.01B), Quezon 2nd District (₱21.39B), Batangas 4th District (₱20.56B)
• Mimaropa: Occidental Mindoro lone district (₱42.97B), Oriental Mindoro 1st District (₱41.74B), Romblon lone district (₱34.46B)
• Bicol Region: Albay 2nd District (₱44.10B), Sorsogon 4th District (₱27.46B), Camarines Sur 5th District (₱21.38B)
• Western Visayas: Antique lone district (₱15.94B), Iloilo 3rd District (₱13.22B), Iloilo 1st District (₱9.799B)
• NIR: Negros Oriental 2nd District (₱14.97B), Negros Occidental 5th District (₱9.222B), Bacolod City lone district (₱9.035B)
• Central Visayas: Cebu 7th District (₱32.87B), Bohol 3rd District (₱19.83B), Cebu 1st District (₱16.38B)
• Eastern Visayas: Leyte 1st District (₱32.14B), Tacloban City (₱31.39B), Eastern Samar lone district (₱22.45B)
• Zamboanga Peninsula: Zamboanga City 2nd District (₱13.89B), Zamboanga Sibugay 2nd District (₱11.49B), Zamboanga del Sur 1st District (₱11.21B)
• BARMM: Sulu 1st District (₱5.822B), Lanao del Sur 2nd District (₱4.779B), Sulu 2nd District (₱4.758B)
• Northern Mindanao: Bukidnon 3rd District (₱33.06B), Bukidnon 2nd District (₱27.11B), Misamis Oriental 2nd District (₱24.86B)
• Davao Region: Davao del Norte 2nd District (₱23.19B), Davao de Oro 1st District (₱21.19B), Davao del Sur lone district (₱19.90B)
• Soccksargen: Sarangani lone district (₱15.82B), North Cotabato 2nd District (₱14.05B), North Cotabato 3rd District (₱12.08B)
• Caraga: Agusan del Norte 1st District (₱28.71B), Agusan del Sur 1st District (₱20.48B), Agusan del Sur 2nd District (₱19.97B)

Leviste emphasized that the figures came from official DPWH submissions. 

“Here is the summary of the DPWH Budget per district from 2023-2026. We can see here where the DPWH budget amounting to around P3.5T, which corresponds to P130,000 per Filipino family, went,” he stated.

Leviste added that the numbers reflect the House General Appropriations Bill (GAB) and could still change once the Senate and bicameral committee finalize the 2026 budget.

The release sparked friction with Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, who accused Leviste of fabricating claims about supposed insertions in the 2025 budget. Ridon insisted that “instead of making up stories, Leviste should just release the documents,” stressing that the burden of disclosure rests on him.

The revelations have reignited anger on how such massive infrastructure funds are being siphoned off through corruption. Netizens quickly weighed in, questioning why certain districts received disproportionately high amounts while others lagged far behind.

Will these files finally lead to accountability? Could they serve as evidence to prosecute officials who allegedly pocketed billions? The public has long demanded that the “big fish” be jailed, not just low-level bureaucrats and scheming contractors.

This disclosure, tied to Cabral’s files, may be the turning point. If proven authentic, the allocations could become a roadmap for investigators to trace questionable projects and expose who benefited most.

The Filipino people have waited decades for justice in corruption scandals. The question now is whether this list will pave the way for the imprisonment of top politicians who profited from the scam. 

Transparency alone is not enough — what matters most now is whether these revelations will finally lead to prosecutions.

(Image: Leandro Legarda Leviste | Facebook)