Despite a whopping P255 billion allocated for the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) flood control projects in the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024, Senate President Francis Escudero was dismayed by the agency’s failure to stop chronic flooding in Metro Manila.
Earlier, Escudero criticized the flood control budget as disproportionately large compared to other critical sectors.
“What happened to the hundreds of billions spent on flood control projects by the DPWH, MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority), and local government units (LGUs)?” Escudero asked.
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito advocated for a comprehensive master plan for infrastructure development to prevent massive flooding. This plan would include high-impact flood mitigation and control projects alongside transportation modernization efforts.
Escudero announced that the Senate Committee on Public Works, chaired by Senator Ramon Revilla, Jr., will conduct an inquiry to uncover the reasons behind the inefficacy of the flood control projects despite substantial funding.
The inquiry aims to assess the current state of flood control systems and develop actionable solutions to ensure that the investments protect communities and mitigate severe weather impacts.
During last year’s budget deliberations, Escudero noted that the P255 billion budget for flood control far exceeded the allocations for irrigation (P31 billion), the construction of new hospitals, and the capital outlay budgets of the Department of Agriculture (P40.13 billion) and the Department of Health (P24.57 billion).
The flood control budget also surpasses the proposed budgets of entire departments, including the Department of National Defense (P232.2 billion) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (P209.9 billion).
Escudero called on the DPWH and MMDA to end chronic flooding in Metro Manila, especially after Typhoon ‘Carina’ and the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” submerged the nation’s capital region and brought it to a halt.
He urged these agencies to collaborate with LGUs in inspecting flooded areas to recommend medium- and long-term solutions to prevent flooding.
“We cannot control the severity and frequency of typhoons and heavy rains, but we must anticipate, adjust, and adapt so that extreme weather phenomena do not unnecessarily disrupt the lives of our [countrymen],” he said.
“With Metro Manila now under a state of calamity and the government addressing the damage wrought by Typhoon Carina, we should also determine why—over a decade after Typhoon Ondoy—chronic, severe flooding continues to afflict the nation’s capital,” Escudero emphasized.
Escudero stressed that this repetitive cycle is unacceptable, particularly given Metro Manila’s economic significance and its role as the seat of government.
