Lawmakers are closely scrutinizing next year’s funding for flood control projects, with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) fighting vigorously to persuade the Bicameral Conference Committee to spare it from significant budget cuts.
On the second day of the bicam meeting, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon spoke before solons to explain why his agency’s funding should not be reduced.
Meanwhile, the proposed funding for Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) coasted along the bicameral deliberations with relative ease, getting P1 billion for next year.
The project, originally managed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), is currently operated by the University of the Philippines (UP) and remains the country’s flagship disaster risk reduction and management program.
“We will work with urgency, discipline, and full accountability to ensure that every centavo of the ₱1 billion entrusted to us delivers meaningful and measurable value to the Filipino people,” said Project NOAH chief and UP Resilience Institute (UPRI) Executive Director Professor Mahar Lagmay in a statement.
During his presentation, Dizon asked the committee to restore about ₱45 billion in cuts to the DPWH’s 2026 budget, explaining that more funding is necessary to properly apply updated Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD) for ongoing projects.
He then denied claims that the agency is reverting to higher construction costs or reviving scrapped projects, calling such reports misleading and inaccurate.
Senator Erwin Tulfo, who questioned why the DPWH chief was called as a resource person, warned that this could set a precedent for summoning agency heads.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez countered that committees have the right to call resource persons to clarify unclear budget matters.
On Saturday, Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian disclosed that senators and congressmen were inclined to make significant cuts in the DPWH’s budget.
The funding reduction is seen as being connected to a string of corruption controversies currently besetting the department.
“Later on, we will see the budget decrease. For example, in flood control, there will be a big decrease. Within DPWH, there will be other budget cuts because the funds are not being used,” Gatchalian said in Filipino.
In a separate motion for reconsideration submitted to the Senate, the DPWH requested that the deducted amounts be restored and that the agency be allowed to implement project cost adjustments using the updated CMPD Special Issuance as part of its executive functions.
The department said this would ensure accurate costing and the proper execution of projects.
The DPWH stated that its request was necessary to avoid inaccurate estimates that could render projects unimplementable, potentially leading to underspending and related legal and administrative issues.
The increased funding was approved alongside other amendments to the P18-billion budget for the country’s state universities and colleges during the first day of the bicam deliberations led by Gatchalian and House Appropriations Chairman Mikaela Suansing.
“Once we give them this amount, they can help the DPWH design flood control projects such that there would no longer be any opportunity to place such projects in areas you’re not supposed to,” Suansing said.
The P1 billion budget for Project NOAH was already earmarked in the House version of the General Appropriations Bill and sourced from the over P255-billion cut made to the DPWH.
Other advocates like Negros Occidental Rep. Javi Benitez touted Project NOAH’s ability to produce real-time, high-quality hazard maps used by local government units for their disaster management and resilience programs.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Project NOAH vows to put ₱1B budget to good use”
