Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon revealed that none of the thousands of flood control projects inspected by the government have secured an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
In a Senate hearing on Monday Dizon said that among 8,000 flood control projects they have inspected across the country, 421 of them did not exist.
When asked if environmental impact assessments were conducted for the government’s flood control projects, Sen. Loren Legarda stressed the need for coordination among water agencies and the issuance of proper ECCs.
“You just don’t build a dike without knowing where the water goes,” she said.
Dizon then admitted that none of the projects inspected had obtained an ECC.
“Not a single flood control project had an ECC. Not one,” he said.
Although the Senate Subcommittee on Finance approved the DPWH’s proposed 2026 budget of P625 billion, Finance Committee Chair Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said that up to P80 billion could be cut from this amount based on DPWH’s submissions.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has vowed to strengthen its oversight and monitoring functions following the discovery of multiple overlapping and poorly situated flood control projects across the country.
This, after DENR Undersecretary Carlos Primo David earlier told the Senate Finance Committee that the agency has assessed over 5,300 flood control projects implemented from 2021 to 2024.
“The DENR will continue to work with the inter-agency Sub-Committee in improving the reporting and monitoring system, enhancing inter-agency coordination, and working towards a more integrated approach to flood and water resource development prior to the implementation of projects,” David said in a news release on Tuesday.
