Accountability sought in flood control budgets

MANILA, Philippines —  Senate President Francis Escudero vowed to demand accountability from government officials on the allocation and effectiveness of the multibillion-peso funding appropriated for flood control projects during the upcoming budget deliberations.

Escudero emphasized the need for accountability, particularly for agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of National Defense/Office of Civil Defense (DND/OCD).

“We begin budget deliberations when we resume on Nov. 4. I expect that this will be brought up during the budget deliberations of DPWH, DENR, DILG, DSWD and DND/OCD,” Escudero said.

As the Senate is set to deliberate on the P6.352-trillion outlay for next year, Escudero emphasized the need for foresight and accountability to mitigate the impact of future natural disasters through sustainable planning and allocation of resources.

“Moving forward, however, we will not only exact accountability but also make sure that the 2025 budget will provide preventive measures to avoid a recurrence, as well as adequate rehabilitation and response in case of a similar calamity in the future,” he added.

Sen. Joel Villanueva revealed that the Bicol region was allocated a total of P61.425 billion for flood control projects by the DPWH over the past two years.

He shared the figures collated by his office amid disinformation circulating on social media that Bicol only has a P9-billion flood control budget.

Citing DPWH data, Villanueva said the Bicol region was allocated P31.942 billion worth of flood control projects in 2024 and P29.483 billion in 2023.

Its total 2023-2024 DPWH flood control budget of P61.425 billion is the second largest allocation, just below Central Luzon, which has the biggest chunk at P106.916 billion.

Bicol, however, was allotted a lower DPWH flood control project of P19.05 billion next year, according to the government’s proposed budget under the 2025 National Expenditure Program.

Villanueva said this is not yet the final budget and may be increased after deliberations at the Senate.

Meanwhile, chair of the House committee on appropriations Rep. Zaldy Co yesterday refuted circulating social media claims that there is substantial budget allocation for flood control in the Bicol region.

In a statement, the Ako Bicol party-list representative said these social media posts are “false” as he underscored that Bicol has one of the smallest allocations for national road infrastructure and flood control projects.

“There’s no truth to the alleged billion-peso appropriations for Bicol flood control. In fact, the region’s funding for national roads and flood control is among the smallest in the country,” he noted.–  Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Sheila Crisostomo