President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government will not allocate fresh funds for flood control projects under the proposed 2026 national budget, citing the availability of ₱350 billion still unspent from this year’s appropriations.
In an interview aired Monday evening, Mr. Marcos said he gave the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) two weeks to review and rewrite the DPWH’s budget plan following questionable allocations flagged in recent congressional hearings.
“Number one, we already are seeing that all flood control projects proposed for 2026 are not needed. There will be no budget for 2026 for flood control because there’s still ₱350 billion for 2025 that has not been fully used,” President Marcos said.
He clarified that ongoing projects would continue but warned that contractors must deliver work to specification at their own expense if they fall short.
“Don’t expect the government to pay for it,” Mr. Marcos said.
The President also rejected suggestions from lawmakers to return the entire National Expenditure Program (NEP) to Malacañang for revisions, stressing that only the DPWH budget would be reworked on the Executive’s end.
“We have a commitment to Congress that the rewritten DPWH budget will be submitted to them,” the President said.
The directive comes amid allegations of irregularities in “ghost” flood control projects, which have fueled calls for stricter oversight of infrastructure spending.
Mr. Marcos also explained that former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan resigned from his post to take responsibility for the controversy over anomalous projects.
In his BBM Podcast, the President said Bonoan personally offered to step down, citing command responsibility.
“He decided. He said, ‘I’m already bothering you,’” the President recounted. “In terms of command responsibility, he said: I take responsibility for that. It shouldn’t have happened under me… So, I’m just going to let it go, he said.”
Mr. Marcos described Bonoan’s successor, Vince Dizon, as a professional leader capable of restoring order in the DPWH.
He praised Dizon’s track record, particularly in the Department of Transportation, and expressed confidence in his ability to implement reforms despite potential resistance.
“He did a very good job in DoTr and I think he understands very well what needs to be done,” Mr. Marcos said. “Even though some people might get mad at him, you know, he’s very professional. As long as it’s work, it’s work. It’s nothing personal.”
