House members displeased over zero budget for flood control in 2026 

Several members of the House of Representatives objected to the removal of the budget for flood control projects under the proposed appropriations for 2026.

According to Joseph Morong’s report on “24 Oras” on Wednesday, the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed budget of P881.3 billion was cut to P625.78 billion after over P250 billion was slashed. 

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the department scrapped all locally funded flood control projects following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s earlier directive. 

What is left is P15 billion that will be shouldered by the government for foreign-assisted projects such as the Pasig-Marikina Rehabilitation Project. There's a portion of the funds for that which was borrowed from other countries, and the government is obligated to finish it, the report added. 

“Tapusin na lang muna natin ‘yan. Ayusin po natin ang mga ginagawa nating ongoing na flood control all over the country,” said Dizon. 

(Let's just finish that first. Let's fix the ongoing flood control projects that we are doing all over the country.) 

This is the lowest budget that the DPWH submitted to Congress since 2020. 

Furthermore, Dizon noted that flood control projects were already funded in 2024 and 2025. 

However, Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice lamented that there would be no funding for dredging in their area if there were no more funds for flood control projects. 

“Unfair naman po ‘yun. Yun po ay matagal na naghihintay. Tapos ang maghihirap ngayon ay yung mga kababayan nating babahain sa susunod na taon,” said Erice. 

(That's so unfair. Those have been waiting for a long time. And now our countrymen who will be flooded next year are the ones who will suffer.)

“Itutuloy yung palpak pagkatapos ihihinto yung mga matitino,” he added. 

(The flawed ones will be continued, then the decent ones will be stopped.) 

Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said that the budget for the bypass roads in their area was also cut despite being funded for five years. 

“Nothing’s left. That is the situation, Mr. Secretary. This is only about P900 million [...] So I am asking, appealing to the secretary, can you restore this?” he said. 

Dizon replied, “We will find a way to restore this.” 

Some congressmen are still hoping that the funds can be restored if they will not be used for flood control. 

“Ayun ang instructions sa amin…ayun lang, kailangan natin bantayan, kung maibabalik man, kung saan man mapunta, kailangan ma-verify na ayun talaga ang kailangan,” said Ilocos Sur 1st district Rep. Ronald Singson. 

(Those were the instructions to us… that’s it, we just need to watch over it. If it will be restored, wherever it goes, it needs to be verified that that is truly what is needed.) 

The over P250 billion slashed from the flood control budget can be reallocated for other programs such as health or education, per President Marcos’ prerogative, said Sinsgon. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News