TARLAKENYO (Sept. 23, 2025) — A dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official has claimed before a Senate inquiry that billions of pesos in infrastructure funds for the two engineering districts of Tarlac were facilitated through a direct channel.
The revelation came from former Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara during a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Alcantara disclosed that the DPWH Tarlac 1st Engineering District, under Engineer Neil Farala, was allocated P1.35 billion in 2023 and received a significantly larger P1.65 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, the Tarlac 2nd Engineering District, currently led by Engineer Edward Ricardo Ramos, received P925 million in 2023 and was allotted P1.25 billion in 2024.
The crux of Alcantara’s testimony, however, was his assertion of a highly unusual flow of communication.
“Walang pong alam ang mga tao doon na DE, ako lang ang kausap nila,” Alcantara said, implying that the individuals handling the substantial allocations dealt directly with him rather than with the sitting district engineers of Tarlac.
This claim suggests a potential bypass of standard government procedures and the authority of the DPWH district engineers officially in charge of the Tarlac 1st Engineering Office in Brgy. Parsolingan, Gerona, and the Tarlac 2nd Engineering Office in Brgy. San Francisco in Concepción town.
When sought for comment by Tarlakenyo, both the Tarlac 1st District Engineering Office under Farala and the Tarlac 2nd District Engineering Office under Ramos have not yet issued any official statements on what projects the funds were used.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is expected to continue its investigation into the national infrastructure budget process.
