20 DPWH contractors linked to unprogrammed funds
MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Leandro Leviste (Batangas, 1st District) released a list of the top 20 contractors awarded government infrastructure projects in 2023 and 2024 that were funded through unprogrammed appropriations.
Some of those named were also among the top flood control contractors identified by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. last year when he launched a probe into the anomalous projects across the country.
At a press conference on Wednesday, January 21, Leviste shared that about 30% of the unprogrammed funds spent on Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects in 2023 and 2024 were cornered by just the top 15 contractors.
However, Philstar.com’s own computation based on Leviste’s summary shows that the amounts awarded to the top 20 contractors total about P65.699 billion. If the P213 billion he cited represents the total unprogrammed funds spent on infrastructure projects in 2023 and 2024, then these contractors would already account for roughly 30% of the total.
Philstar.com has sought clarification from Leviste’s office.
Who are the top 20?
According to his summary, Sunwest Inc., founded by resigned lawmaker and former appropriations chair Elizaldy Co, secured P11.03 billion in contracts that were paid off by the controversial standby funds.
This was followed by MG Samidan Construction with contracts worth P6.846 billion, and Newbig Four J Construction Inc. with P4.998 billion from projects funded by unprogrammed funds.
Unprogrammed appropriations have drawn criticism from lawmakers and civil society groups for resembling pork barrel funds, with allocations set for "priority" projects despite the absence of assured funding.
Leviste said the projects funded by unprogrammed appropriations are approved in "lump sum," where the DPWH gets to decide which projects will receive funding.
In a separate series of Facebook posts, Leviste also shared additional screenshots of documents he said were obtained from the late DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.
The posts include a detailed breakdown of the "district allocables," specifying the projects and amounts under the 2025 budget. It also noted the "tags" which the lawmaker says may refer to the project's proponents.
After Leviste released excerpts of documents he said came from Cabral after her sudden death in December 2025, the DPWH and the Ombudsman have been taking their time verifying them against official records.
Until now, the Ombudsman, who has custody of Cabral's documents, has yet to respond to the public's questions on whether the files Leviste has in his possession carry any weight.
For now, it is only the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that has been conducting a public investigation seeking to get the story straight on Cabral's files, the district allocables and the alleged involvement of high-ranking officials as proponents.
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