MANILA, Philippines — The 1st District of Leyte emerged as the country’s biggest recipient of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) funding during the first three years of the Marcos administration, receiving about ₱57 billion in infrastructure funds from 2023 to 2025, according to budget records obtained and analyzed by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).
At the time, the district was represented by Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cousin and then Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The new figures shift the spotlight from Davao City’s 1st District, which had been the biggest recipient during the final three years of the Duterte administration. From 2020 to 2022, that district, then represented by Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, received about ₱51 billion in infrastructure spending.
Leyte’s ₱57-billion figure is broader than “allocables”
The ₱57-billion figure should not be confused with the much smaller amount classified as “allocable” DPWH funding.
PCIJ’s earlier investigation found that from 2023 to 2025, Romualdez’s Leyte 1st District received approximately ₱14.43 billion in allocable funds, placing it among the largest recipients nationwide. President Marcos’ son, Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, ranked higher in that particular category at about ₱15.79 billion.
The latest PCIJ report examined a broader set of DPWH budget records and found that, when infrastructure allocations are considered as a whole, Leyte’s 1st District reached approximately ₱57 billion over the 2023–2025 period.
Leyte remained No. 1 even after Romualdez lost the speakership
The development is particularly notable because Romualdez was replaced as House Speaker in September 2025 by Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.
Despite the change in House leadership, DPWH documents reviewed by PCIJ show that Leyte’s 1st District still received the largest allocation among legislative districts in the 2026 national budget — around ₱6 billion.
The district’s 2026 allocation had actually been higher during the budget preparation stage.
According to PCIJ, the resubmitted 2026 National Expenditure Program initially placed nearly ₱10 billion in proposed DPWH funding for Leyte’s 1st District. Congress eventually cut more than ₱4 billion from the proposal, yet the district remained the top recipient in the final budget.
The General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026 is officially published by the Department of Budget and Management, providing the government’s formal budget framework for the year.
Why the numbers are attracting attention
The unusually large concentration of infrastructure funds in a single district comes amid continuing scrutiny of the government’s DPWH budget system and the broader flood-control controversy.
PCIJ reported that lawmakers holding leadership positions can receive additional funding beyond regular district allocations, based on interviews with current and former lawmakers.
The investigation also cited a source familiar with DPWH planning who said Romualdez was known to submit infrastructure project requests to then-DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan and late Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral. According to the source, many of these requests were subsequently reflected in the National Expenditure Program.
Budget advocates have argued that the process raises questions about how infrastructure priorities are determined and whether political influence can affect the distribution of public funds.
But there is an important caveat.
A large allocation is not, by itself, proof of corruption.
PCIJ itself quoted budget reform advocates warning that concentrating projects in one district does not automatically mean wrongdoing if the projects are genuinely needed, properly planned and beneficial to communities. The concern is whether unusually concentrated spending comes at the expense of other areas with greater infrastructure needs.
The issue comes as Romualdez faces separate corruption allegations
The latest budget findings come while Romualdez remains involved in a separate legal controversy stemming from allegations surrounding the DPWH flood-control scandal.
In July, Ombudsman investigators directed Romualdez and other respondents to submit counter-affidavits in connection with allegations involving anomalous flood-control projects.
Prosecutors have also pursued allegations involving an alleged ₱56-billion corruption scheme, although these remain allegations and are subject to investigation and legal proceedings.
Romualdez has denied wrongdoing and has sought the dismissal of the complaints. His legal team has argued that the allegations lack sufficient evidence and has pointed to conflicting witness accounts, including the recantation of former Zaldy Co security aide Orly Guteza.
The Philippine News Agency also reported that Romualdez’s camp maintains that there is no forensic or documentary evidence directly connecting him to alleged cash deliveries.
Transparency now becomes the bigger question
One issue repeatedly raised by budget advocates and lawmakers is the lack of a publicly accessible, comprehensive breakdown of DPWH allocations by legislative district.
According to PCIJ, the DPWH provided district-level data for 2023–2025 to legislators, and one legislator subsequently shared the information with the investigative organization.
The DPWH has not publicly released the complete district-by-district allocation data in the same manner, according to the report.
For advocates of budget transparency, the argument is straightforward: if taxpayers can see where billions of pesos are being allocated, they can more easily evaluate whether projects correspond to population, poverty, flood risk, infrastructure gaps and other objective needs.
That makes the ₱57-billion figure more than just another political headline.
It raises a larger question over how billions in public infrastructure money are distributed — and who ultimately has the power to influence those decisions.
What the records show
- ₱57 billion: Approximate total DPWH infrastructure funding received by Leyte’s 1st District from 2023–2025, according to budget records obtained by PCIJ.
- ₱14.43 billion: Approximate “allocable” DPWH funds attributed to Romualdez’s district from 2023–2025 in PCIJ’s earlier investigation.
- Around ₱6 billion: DPWH allocation for Leyte’s 1st District in the final 2026 budget, according to PCIJ.
- Nearly ₱10 billion: Proposed amount for the district in the resubmitted 2026 NEP before Congress cut more than ₱4 billion.
- Important: These figures describe government budget allocations. They do not, by themselves, establish that Romualdez committed corruption or personally controlled the funds. Those questions are separate matters being examined through investigations and legal proceedings.
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