₱1.3 billion. That is the value of the projects the House of Representatives added to the 2027 budget under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Batangas 2nd District Engineering Office, according to BetterGov data cited by the People’s Budget Coalition. But not all of it is in the district of Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro. So what are these projects, and where are they?
₱1.31 billion in 77 projects
The coalition presented its list to the Senate finance committee on October 26, 2026, according to news reports. On BetterGov’s leaderboard of projects the House added, the DPWH Batangas 2nd District Engineering Office (DEO) has ₱1.31 billion in 77 projects, first among the 16 DPWH offices on its Calabarzon list as of October 28, 2026.
We counted the lines ourselves, the same way BetterGov does. In House Bill No. 10858, the House version of the 2027 budget (Volume I-C, “For 3rd Reading”), 77 lines under the Batangas 2nd District Engineering Office have no matching line in the National Expenditure Program (NEP). They add up to ₱1,307,771,000, the same as BetterGov’s figure. Lines that may be renamed versions of NEP projects are not counted.
What counts as an insertion
Projects that are not in the NEP, the President’s proposed budget, but were added by the House are often called insertions. According to the coalition, as reported in the news, no supporting documents were published for them.
BetterGov is careful with the word. Its board says: “‘Added’ means no matching line was found in the NEP: a candidate, not a confirmed insertion.”
The six towns of the 2nd District
Under Republic Act No. 10673, the 2nd District of Batangas is made up of Bauan, Lobo, Mabini, San Luis, San Pascual and Tingloy. The same law makes Batangas City the province’s 5th District. According to BetterGov, the Batangas 2nd DEO serves both districts.
Two ₱50-million projects
Among the office’s new projects in those six towns, the two largest are worth ₱50 million each. Neither is in the NEP.
- A road in Sitio Malabnig, Barangay Balatbat, Lobo: “Construction of Road, Sitio Malabnig, Barangay Balatbat, Lobo, Batangas” (HB 10858 Vol. I-C, p. 529).
- A multi-purpose building for the municipal hall of San Luis: “Construction of Multi-Purpose Building (Municipal Hall), San Luis, Batangas” (p. 745).
In Mabini: a road widening, a road and a health center
The House also added ₱39,875,000, almost ₱40 million, to widen part of the Bauan-Mabini Road. The bill lists two stretches near kilometer post 152: K0152+150 to K0152+649, and K0152+667 to K0152+827 (p. 204). Together that is 659 meters, or about 0.66 km.
We matched those kilometer stations to DPWH’s own road inventory. As of April 2022, the stretch was two lanes wide, with four-lane sections at both ends. Laid over the PSA’s town boundaries, it is inside Mabini.
Also in Mabini, the House added ₱30 million for a road in Barangay Malimatoc II (p. 529) and ₱20 million to complete the Mabini Super Health Center (p. 745). None of the three Mabini projects is in the DPWH part of the NEP.
What Luistro said
According to Super Radyo DZBB’s report on its October 28, 2026, interview with Luistro, she said she was not able to take part in the budget process because of the impeachment trial in the Senate, and that she would double-check how this happened. DZBB added that her understanding, based on what was reported to her, was that what was in the NEP was also what was in the House version.
But the two versions are not the same
The documents show otherwise. Besides the 77 added lines, some of the office’s NEP projects were removed or reduced in the House version. One example is a ₱50-million road from Barangay Apar to San Nicolas in Lobo: “Construction of Road, Barangay Apar to San Nicolas, Lobo, Batangas” (NEP 2027 Vol. II-B, pp. 500 to 501). It is not in the House bill.
Shared with Batangas City
The ₱1.3 billion is not only for Luistro’s district. The Batangas 2nd DEO also serves the 5th District, Batangas City, represented by Rep. Beverley Dimacuha. There, the House added a new ₱50-million bridge from Barangay Dalig to San Pedro: “Construction of Bridge, Barangay Dalig to San Pedro, Batangas City, Batangas” (HB 10858 Vol. I-C, p. 530).
What the list does not say
BetterGov itself warns readers: “Figures belong to DPWH offices, not to representatives. A candidate is a document comparison, not evidence of wrongdoing.” Its “About this board” note on the same page adds: “The documents do not say who asked for any project.”
In other words, the ₱1.3 billion is counted under the DPWH office, not under either representative. The budget documents do not say who requested these projects, and being on the list is not by itself proof of an anomaly.
Mga Resibo (Sources)
- House of Representatives, House Bill No. 10858 (General Appropriations Bill, FY 2027), Volume I-C, “For 3rd Reading” printing, pp. 204, 528 to 530, 743 and 745. Copy in the public repository used by BetterGov’s analysis.
- Department of Budget and Management, National Expenditure Program FY 2027, Volume II-B, Batangas 2nd District Engineering Office, pp. 500 to 501. Copy in the same public repository.
- BetterGov, Largest budget in projects the House added, Calabarzon, House Budget Analysis 2027, as of October 28, 2026.
- Republic Act No. 10673, reapportioning the Province of Batangas into six legislative districts, August 19, 2015.
- Super Radyo DZBB 594khz, “Cong. Gerville Reyes-Luistro, aminadong walang alam sa sinasabing budget insertion,” October 28, 2026.
- DPWH, Road and Bridge Information Application (RBIA) road inventory, Bauan-Mabini Road (section S01947LZ): number of lanes as of April 2022 and kilometer posts as of February 2022, from DPWH’s public map service.
From news reports: Philstar (October 26, 2026) and DZME (October 27, 2026), on the coalition’s presentation to the Senate finance committee and the lack of published supporting documents.
Featured image: video by Certified Ka-Larga / Facebook (August 1, 2026), faces of other people blurred. Maps: © OpenStreetMap contributors; PSGC 2023 (PSA).