President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the government has canceled all flood control projects slated for 2026, redirecting the savings to what he called a “menu” of priority sectors.
During a press conference yesterday in Malacañang, the President said lawmakers will be required to align any insertions or adjustments strictly within these areas.
President Marcos bared that the government will reallocate the money to education, health, and other social services.
“Those savings we already put in a menu… so that all insertions, all changes made can only be made to the benefit of these agencies,” he said.
Under the menu of projects identified by President Marcos, funds for education will support the construction of laboratory buildings, student dormitories, and academic facilities in state universities and colleges, as well as the Department of Education’s school building program, textbooks and other instructional materials, the laptop computerization initiative, and the Last Mile School program.
For agriculture, the Department of Agriculture will oversee projects such as farm-to-market roads, postharvest facilities, rice subsidies, cold storage expansion, and fish ports, while the National Irrigation Administration will handle the construction of irrigation dams.
Health allocations for the Department of Health will go to specialty hospitals for facility enhancements, the provision of medicines, and medical assistance to indigent and financially incapacitated patients.
Housing programs will be implemented through the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the National Housing Authority under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
For infrastructure and ICT, the Office of Civil Defense will manage the construction of evacuation centers, while the Department of Information and Communications Technology will expand its Free Wi-Fi program.
Funds for labor will strengthen the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers or TUPAD Program.
Social services funding will be directed to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), while energy allocations will support the Department of Energy and Energy Regulatory Commission’s electrification projects.
The President added that the move was meant to prevent misuse of funds and ensure transparency after recent controversies surrounding public works allocations.
President Marcos said the reallocation was aimed at making sure “funds that belong to the people are well spent and properly spent to the advantage of all of us.”
The President also cited the need to restore safeguards in national and local projects, noting that under past rules, local government officials were required to formally accept completed projects before they could be turned over.
“This is an important safeguard,” Mr. Marcos said, stressing that such oversight allowed local leaders to verify whether roads and flood control structures met quality standards.
