Stellar rise in DPWH, mysterious fall amid graft probe
Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral was one of the central figures in the ongoing investigation into alleged anomalies in infrastructure and flood control projects of the DPWH.
It was Cabral who, in a televised interview in January 2024, confirmed reports that Davao City’s first congressional district, under Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, received P51 billion from 2019 to 2022—the last three years of the administration of his father, then President Rodrigo Duterte—just for flood control projects.
On Sept. 7, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson named Cabral in a radio interview as the person who allegedly contacted Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to make early insertions in the proposed 2026 national budget, a claim that Sotto eventually confirmed.
Cabral resigned from the DPWH on Sept. 14.
On Nov. 4, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) recommended that Cabral, former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, and former Undersecretary for Operations Roberto Bernardo face administrative complaints for grave misconduct, gross dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and “any violations” of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
In a Senate hearing on Nov. 14, Bernardo said that every year, including 2023 to 2025, Cabral apportioned the budget ceiling for the DPWH “allocable” funds under the National Expenditure Program (NEP). While she would make it appear that 100-percent allocables had been apportioned, Cabral allegedly reserved a substantial percentage of that budget for her and Bonoan’s preferred projects.
Bernardo added that, with very few exceptions, it was Cabral—with the imprimatur of then Secretary Mark Villar, and later by Bonoan—who had control, at the department level, to remove, include, add, deduct, or modify item insertions in the NEP for infrastructure.
For its last hearing this year, the ICI summoned Cabral to appear on Dec. 15. She first appeared before the fact-finding body on Sep. 24.
Cabral, however, did not attend the last ICI hearing.
Early exposure
Cabral was born on May 23, 1962 in Manila. In a magazine interview in 2018, she recalled being raised by her widowed mother, “Mommy Linda,” who often brought Cabral and her two siblings to her workplace at the then Bureau of Public Works, as she could not afford a nanny to look after them.
This early exposure sparked her fascination with civil engineering.
She completed her primary and secondary education at Holy Trinity Academy from 1969 to 1979, then earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of the East in 1984.
She later pursued advanced studies at Manuel L. Quezon University, where she obtained a master’s degree in Business Administration in 1993, a doctorate in Business Management in 1998, and a doctorate in Public Administration in 2001.
She also earned a master’s degree in Economics from Lyceum of the Philippines in 2007 and a master’s degree in Strategic Business Economics at the University of Asia and the Pacific in 2015. She was a Ph.D. candidate in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Philippines, and also earned certificates from Wharton, Harvard Kennedy School, and Mohamed Bin Zayed University in areas like data analytics, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence.
Her career in government saw her rising through the ranks—from engineering aide and entry-level civil engineer to senior civil engineer, division chief, project manager, assistant project director, project director, service director, assistant secretary, and ultimately, undersecretary.
Making history
She made history as the first female national president of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers and later served as national president of the Road Engineering Association of the Philippines. In 2021, she was appointed professional chair in Engineering, Science, and Technology at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Cabral was the first female rank-and-file employee to rise to the position of undersecretary at the DPWH. She was the undersecretary for planning and public-private partnership (PPP) service before she resigned, which made her in charge of overseeing the development of strategic and priority plans and programs of the department, including the preparation and implementation of PPP projects.
In addition to her civilian career, Cabral was a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Force, with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army.
In a video interview seven years ago for D+C magazine, Cabral shared that her biggest achievement was being a mom.
In the same interview, she revealed that her biggest phobia was “heights.”
Sources: Inquirer Archives, PNA, nia.gov.ph, Facebook page of GineersNow Magazine, Facebook page of D+C Magazine
