None of the 10 Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineering offices in the Negros Island Region (NIR) ranked among the top 40 in the House-approved 2027 national budget bill, according to an analysis by civic technology group BetterGov.PH published on October 26, 2026.
The region’s combined DPWH project allocation under House Bill 10858, the 2027 General Appropriations Bill, stands at ₱7.66 billion — ranking the NIR 12th among 17 regions nationwide. The House approved the bill on third reading with 281 votes in favor, 13 against, and one abstention. It now moves to the Senate.
NIR’s Highest-Ranked Office Lands at 49th
The Bacolod City district engineering office, which falls under the district represented by Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, is the NIR’s top-ranked office at 49th among 190 district offices nationwide. It holds ₱1.17 billion in project lines, a 32-percent increase from the National Expenditure Program (NEP), after the House added 30 lines worth ₱330.5 million and dropped seven lines worth ₱86.8 million.
The Negros Occidental 1st District Engineering Office — which serves the 2nd and 3rd districts of Reps. Alfredo Marañon III and Javier Miguel Benitez — ranks 51st with ₱1.14 billion, recording the largest percentage increase in the region at 53 percent. The House added 25 lines worth ₱413.5 million and dropped three worth ₱51 million.
How Each NIR Office Ranks
Negros Occidental’s 6th District, represented by Rep. Mercedes Alvarez, ranks 54th with ₱1.12 billion, up 29 percent, after the House added 20 lines worth ₱233.5 million.
Siquijor’s lone district, represented by Rep. Zaldy Villa, ranks 76th with ₱889 million, up 25 percent. The House added 23 lines worth ₱341.5 million but also dropped six lines worth ₱183 million — the largest amount dropped from any single NIR office.
Among Negros Oriental’s three districts, the 3rd District of Rep. Janice Degamo ranks highest at 99th with ₱785 million, up 38 percent. The 2nd District of Rep. Ma. Isabel Sagarbarria ranks 110th with ₱694 million, up 15 percent. The 1st District of Rep. Emmanuel Iway ranks 128th with ₱600 million, up 27 percent.
The remaining Negros Occidental districts rank lower. The 1st District of Rep. Julio Ledesma IV ranks 142nd with ₱504 million. The 5th District of Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo ranks 152nd with ₱398 million, up 48 percent after the House added 14 lines worth ₱130 million. The 4th District of Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer ranks 154th with ₱350 million.
Two Negros Occidental Districts Left Unchanged
The House made no changes to the DPWH project lists for Negros Occidental’s 1st and 4th districts. Their totals in the House bill match the NEP exactly, with no lines added or dropped — making them the only two NIR offices left untouched.
Region’s 28% Increase Below the National 44% Rise
The NIR’s ₱7.66 billion represents a ₱1.67 billion, or 28-percent, increase over the ₱5.99 billion proposed in the NEP. Across all DPWH district offices nationwide, the House raised project lines by approximately 44 percent — from ₱121.1 billion to ₱174.8 billion — according to BetterGov.PH’s House Budget Analysis 2027.
Region I, the Ilocos Region, recorded the steepest increase at 137 percent, from ₱5.57 billion to ₱13.20 billion.
Ilocos Norte Leads All Districts Nationally
The Ilocos Norte 1st District, represented by Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, tops the national ranking with ₱4.74 billion in DPWH project lines across 433 items — roughly 62 percent of the entire NIR’s allocation under the House bill.
The next four highest-ranked offices are each in Luzon: the Nueva Ecija 1st District Engineering Office at ₱3.86 billion (2nd), the Bulacan 2nd District Engineering Office at ₱3.47 billion (3rd), the Metro Manila 3rd District Engineering Office covering parts of Caloocan and Valenzuela cities at ₱3.09 billion (4th), and the Isabela 4th District Engineering Office at ₱3.07 billion (5th). The Isabela office covers the districts of Rep. Joseph Tan and House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.
Provincial Breakdown Within NIR
By province, Negros Occidental’s four district offices outside Bacolod City hold a combined ₱3.52 billion. Including Bacolod City, the Negros Occidental side of the island totals ₱4.69 billion. Negros Oriental’s three districts account for ₱2.08 billion, and Siquijor’s lone district holds ₱889 million.
How BetterGov.PH Defines the Figures
According to BetterGov.PH, the project line figures belong to DPWH district offices — not to individual lawmakers. The group noted that a line appearing in the House bill but absent from the NEP reflects a document comparison, not evidence of wrongdoing. Where one office serves several districts, its total cannot be apportioned by representative.
The People’s Budget Coalition and BetterGov.PH launched the public tracker on October 26. The groups said the tool allows citizens to see which districts received the largest budget increases or cuts in the House version of the 2027 budget. All figures are sourced from BetterGov.PH’s House Budget Analysis 2027, based on DPWH project lists in the 2027 NEP and House Bill 10858, with data as of October 25, 2026.
NIR Created Under 2024 Law
The Negros Island Region was established under Republic Act 12000, signed in June 2024, grouping Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor into a single administrative region.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of BetterGov.PH
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