Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Article (news)

Department of Public Works and Highways

Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA<strong> (2nd UPDATE)</strong> — The Palace on Monday said the Convergence and Special Support Program is a regular umbrella program of the Department of Public Works and Highways that has funded infrastructure projects for more than a decade.</p><p>This comes after former Public Works Secretary Rogelio &quot;Babes&quot; Singson reportedly said in a conference that the program has been another category for the flood-control scam.</p><p>Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Singson should have presented evidence of his assertion on the CSSP, which she said had been in place at the DPWH even during Singson&#x27;s own tenure at the agency.</p><p>&quot;Dahil kung iyan ang kanyang opinyon lamang, pero wala pa siyang hawak na basehan para sabihin na iyong Convergence Special Support Program ay pang-scam, hindi po siya nakakabuti sa proyekto ng gobyerno,&quot; Castro added.</p><p>(Because if that is just his opinion and he has no solid basis to say the Convergence Special Support Program is used for scams, that does not do the government project any good.)</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/16/remulla-hits-dpwh-project-quality-and-pushes-for-ppps-dizon-agrees-1625"><strong>Remulla hits DPWH project quality and pushes for PPPs, Dizon agrees</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT SINGSON SAID</strong></div><p>In an exchange with ABS-CBN News, Singson confirmed his comments, saying he also made them at one of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure briefings in 2025.</p><p>He said that the program was prone to abuse because “many of the insertions and CSSP lacked technical studies, unit cost analysis and proper justifications”</p><div><strong></strong></div><p>Singson resigned from ICI in December 2025 citing stress and his age.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NO SECRET</strong></div><p>Citing the Department of Budget and Management, Castro said the program is not a secret fund and is &quot;reflected in publicly available National Expenditure Programs, General Appropriation Act and other government budget documents.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It is a regular program under the Department of Public Work and Highways, with its appropriations and project reflected in publicly available National Expenditure Programs. General Appropriation Act and other government budget documents,&quot; Castro said. </p><p>&quot;In fact, convergence programs did not begin under the Marcos administration, Marcos Jr. administration. The approach has existed for more than a decade including the tenure of former Secretary Rogelio Singson,&quot; she added.</p><p>She said the program has also built other infrastructures supporting agriculture, education, health, national security, industries, airports, seaports and other national priorities.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/4/singson-says-ici-went-to-war-without-necessary-ammunition-1326"><strong>Singson says ICI was ‘asked to go to war without necessary ammunition’<br/></strong></a></div><p>&quot;As early as 2012 government records already referred to the DOT, DPWH convergence program on enhancing tourism access, which supported the construction and improvement of roads, leading the tourism destination,&quot; she added. </p><p>&quot;Convergence was precisely intended to allowed DPWH to provide the infrastructure requirements of programs, being undertaken with other government agencies,&quot; Castro said.</p><p>Aside from tourism access, the program has also built other infrastructures supporting agriculture, education, health, national security, industries, airports, seaports and other national priorities.  </p><p>&quot;The current CSSP is therefore an umbrella program covering different types of infrastructure projects not a single discretionary fund,&quot; Castro asserted. </p><p>&quot;It is therefore, inaccurate to portray CSSP as a newly-discovered or previously undisclosed public works budget.&quot;</p><p>Castro said portraying the program as bad sends a wrong message to the public.</p><p>&quot;Sa bawat pagbibintang or ibang intriga, mas maganda po sana kung hingin ninyo sa kanila kung ano iyong pruweba na nagagamit ito sa scam, kung mayroon silang example, kung mayroon silang experience para po mas maging maganda ang mensahe nila sa ating mga kababayan,&quot; Castro said.</p><p>&quot;At [para] hindi tayo parang laging nakabitin sa isyu na ito ay maaring gamitin pang-scam, ito ay magagamit na para nakawin, hindi po magandang mensahe po ang ganyan,&quot; she ended.</p>

<p>The Palace on Monday said the Convergence and Special Support Program is a regular umbrella program of the Department of Public Works and Highways that has funded infrastructure projects for more than a decade.</p>

The Palace on Monday said the Convergence and Special Support Program is a regular umbrella program of the Department of Public Works and Highways that has funded infrastructure projects for more than a decade.

DPWH Convergence and Special Support Program neither a secret nor new — Palace

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DPWH Convergence and Special Support Program neither a secret nor new — Palace

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 18, 2026 04:58 PM PHT

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Updated August 18, 2026 07:29 PM PHT

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Department of Public Works and Highways

Convergence and Special Support Program

Rogelio Singson

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