Who was Maria Catalina Cabral? Circumstances surrounding mysterious death of former DPWH undersecretary explored amid 'foul play' probe

Maria Catalina Cabral, the former undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) of the Philippines, passed away on December 19 under mysterious circumstances.

The official cause of her death has not been announced yet. It is widely speculated that Maria Catalina Cabral reportedly fell into the Bued River. She was 63 years old at the time of passing.

According to GMA News's December 19 report, the former DPWH undersecretary had three master's degrees and certificates from Wharton, Harvard Kennedy School, and Mohamed Bin Zayed University in data analytics, digital transformation, and AI.

Maria was a renowned civil engineer with two doctorates in Business Management and Public Administration. She was also a Ph.D. candidate in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Philippines.

She started working in the Department of Public Works and Highways as a civil engineering aide, then rose through the ranks and became the undersecretary. Maria made history as she was the first female rank-and-file employee to do so.

Cabral was also the first female president of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, and she became the national president of the Road Engineering Association of the Philippines.

Her mysterious death is speculated to be connected to the flood control corruption scandal. For the unversed, this year, the Philippine government is under massive scrutiny after numerous ghost projects were found throughout the country.

BREAKING NEWS: Former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral has died, authorities confirm. She was pronounced dead at 12:03 a.m. on December 19.
Police said Cabral was found unconscious along the Bued River in Tuba, Benguet, around 20 to 30 meters below Kennon Road. pic.twitter.com/DOtoxBcoIw

— Zerbi (@Gerbi_23) December 18, 2025

As Maria Catalina Cabral was part of the DPWH's Planning and Public-Private Partnership division before resigning in September, she faced allegations of being involved in the ghost projects.

Maria denied all accusations and claimed that she was only in charge of planning work. She was supposed to appear at the court hearing of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on December 15. However, she was not present.

Days later, her dead body was discovered by the police near the Bued River. Her driver, Ricardo Munos Hernandez, reached out to the police, saying that he could not find her.

More details on Maria Catalina Cabral's death

Ricardo Munos Hernandez and the former undersecretary were traveling towards La Union when she suddenly told him to stop the car at Maramal, Camp 5. Maria reportedly said that she wanted to be left alone.

The driver followed the instructions and left and went to a nearby gas station. Hernandez returned two hours later, but he could not find Maria. He then drove to Baguio City, where they stayed at a hotel.

As he could not find Maria Catalina Cabral at the hotel either, he contacted the police. Her body was found near the Bued River. Public officials have demanded a thorough investigation into her sudden passing.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure requested the authorities to check if there was any foul play in Maria's death. Ricardo Munos Hernandez is currently being held for questioning.

The Office of the Ombudsman has instructed the authorities to collect Cabral's devices, including her phone. Meanwhile, the former DPWH undersecretary's family has asked for privacy.

The DPWH has also requested the public to respect the family's wishes. Stay tuned for more updates.