Place Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral in the early years of her career and public attention rarely followed.
She worked within the Department of Public Works and Highways, focusing on planning, timelines, and long-term projections that eventually became a cornerstone of the government’s infrastructure agenda.
Her work later entered public view as Senate hearings brought departmental processes under scrutiny.
Lawmakers sought to gauge accountability within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and Cabral’s name surfaced repeatedly during discussions of alleged irregularities in multi-billion-peso flood control projects.
Long regarded as a career technocrat rather than a political scapegrace, she was later linked to questions over how allegedly questionable provisions may have been inserted into public works spending.
In public proceedings, she remained restrained, occasionally chirking up to respond as scrutiny intensified.
Her death in December ended that scrutiny without resolution.
What follows is a closer look at Cabral’s background, career, and public record.
Read: Philippine Flood Control Corruption: A Timeline
FULL Name, Age, Hometown
Maria Catalina E. Cabral, Ph.D., known to those close to her as “Cathy,” was born on May 23, 1962, making her 63 years old at the time of her death.
Official government records list her place of birth as Manila.
EDUCATION
Cabral completed her primary and secondary education at Holy Trinity Academy from 1969 to 1979, according to records published by DPWH.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of the East in 1984, becoming a licensed civil engineer soon after.
From studying in Manuel L. Quezon University, she obtained a Master in Business Administration in 1993, a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management in 1998, and a Doctor in Public Administration in 2001.
She later earned a Master in Economics from Lyceum of the Philippines University in 2007, followed by a Master’s Degree in Strategic Business Economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific in 2015.
She also completed executive and professional certification programs from The Wharton School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Mohamed Bin Zayed University, focusing on data analytics, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence.
Cathy Cabral's CAREER
The former DPWH undersecretary began her professional career as a licensed civil engineer, eventually rising to one of the most prominent technical roles in Philippine infrastructure governance.
Cabral made history as the first female national president of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) 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 (PUP).
Beyond civilian roles, Cabral was also a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Force, holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Philippine Army.
Rise within the DPWH
Cabral joined the Department of Public Works and Highways in November 2014, assuming office on November 10 following her November 4 appointment.
On August 1, 2022, she was formally designated as undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
Her ascent was historic.
Cabral became the first female rank-and-file employee to rise to the level of undersecretary in a department long dominated by male leadership.
Often cited as a model for women in infrastructure, she she managed the department's planning and programming as well as its PPP projects.
Read: Ex-DPWH Usec. Catalina Cabral found dead after alleged fall
Awards and Recognition
Over the years, Cabral received numerous professional distinctions, as written on her DPWH profile.
Among them were the 2021 PEZA Galing Pinas Ecozone Partnership Award, the 2020 Excellence Award from the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations, and the 2021 Professional Regulation Commission Outstanding Professional of the Year in Civil Engineering.
In 2022, she was named one of the Five Outstanding Filipinos (TOFIL) awardees for Government and Public Service by JCI Senate Philippines.
Subsequent recognitions included the Manila Times Global Excellence Award (2023), Brand Asia Award as Top Leader of Excellence in Humanitarian and Public Service (2023), the Philippine Resilience Awards for Women (2023), and the 2024 ASIA CEO Circle of Excellence Award as Woman of the Year.
She was also nominated for several international honors, including the World Federation of Engineering Organizations’ GREE Women in Engineering Award, the United Nations Public Service Award for SDG 5 (Gender Equality), the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council Achievement Award, the Women’s International Network on Disaster Risk Reduction Award, and the Presidential GAWAD CES.
PERSONAL LIFE
Married life
There is limited publicly available information about Cabral’s family.
Recent news reports identified her husband as Cesar Cabral.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a glimpse of her personal life briefly surfaced through public service.
In May 2020, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital in Manila acknowledged Cabral and her daughter, Gabe Cabral, for donating seven boxes—336 cans—of food supplies to hospital frontliners.
Cathy Cabral's involvement in the Philippine Flood Control Scandal
In what would be the most publicized chapter of her professional life, Cabral became one of the central figures linked to allegations of irregularities involving multi-billion-peso flood control projects under the DPWH.
She attended several hearings conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, placing her under sustained public scrutiny.
On September 7, 2025, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson alleged that Cabral had contacted staff of Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III shortly after the May 2025 elections, purportedly asking what budget items they wanted inserted into the proposed 2026 national budget.
Lacson said Sotto declined the offer, emphasizing transparency and good governance.
Lacson raised broader concerns about how many other lawmakers might have been similarly approached, noting that budget preparations typically began in January 2025 and concluded by June, ahead of submission to Congress after the President’s State of the Nation Address.
Cabral resigned from her post on September 16, 2025.
She was later invited by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to attend a hearing on December 15, but did not appear.
Read: Zaldy Co tags Marcos, Romualdez as mastermind of bicam insertions
Cathy Cabral's DEATH and ongoing investigation
Cabral was declared dead in the early hours of December 19, 2025, after authorities recovered her body near the Bued River in Benguet, following what police described as an alleged fall.
Her driver, Cardo Hernandez, told investigators that Cabral had asked to be left alone to think. He claimed he warned her multiple times after she sat on the concrete safety barriers along the road.
According to Hernandez, a police officer later asked them to leave the area, prompting them to eat at a nearby restaurant.
They reportedly returned to the site around 3 p.m., where Cabral again sat on the barrier.
Hernandez said he left briefly and, upon returning, could no longer find her. Unable to search properly without a flashlight, he sought police assistance.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
DPWH MOURNS THE PASSING OF CABRAL
The DPWH issued a statement expressing condolences to Cabral’s family, noting her more than 40 years of service to the department and urging the public to respect the family’s privacy as they mourn her sudden passing.
