P46 billion of funds for flood control projects realigned to AICS, TUPAD

A subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations has realigned P46 billion of the Department of Public Works and Highways' proposed budget of more than P250 billion for flood control projects in 2026  to two of the government's social amelioration programs.

The budget amendments review subcommittee approved the proposal by House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan to move P32.6 billion to the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, and P14.82 billion to Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).

More than P250 billion of the DPWH's proposed allocation for flood control projects is being realigned to other items in the proposed P6.7-trillion national budget for 2026, following President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s announcement that there would be no new allocations for flood control next year.

With the approval, the present P26.9 billion proposed AICS budget for 2026 has been increased to P59.5 billion.  On the other hand, the TUPAD budget was hiked to P26.9 billion from P12.1 billion.

Nobody from the House subpanel opposed Libanan’s proposed realignments.

AICS is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, while the Department of Labor and Employment implements TUPAD.

House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Nueva Ecija Rep. Mika Suansing, who presided over the first-ever House budget amendments review subcommittee review deliberations, said the amendments address the concerns DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has raised and the removal of the P26-billion Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang kita Program (AKAP) for 2026.

“The amount for AICS is actually a lot lower than the combined funding of AICS and AKAP this year,” Suansing said, referring to the P44 billion for AICS and P26 billion for funding for AKAP for a total of P70 billion under the 2025 national budget.

“Secretary Gatchalian was actually requesting P47 billion funding for AICS, but we can only accommodate P32 billion because we also have to be cognizant of the fiscal space," Suansing said.

"There are a lot of other agencies, especially education and health, that we still have to account for,” she added.

House appropriations panel vice chairman Guimaras Rep. Rahman Nava agreed with Suansing and Libanan.

“We support the recommendation of the Minority Floor Leader. We have to note that the level of AICS in 2025 is somewhere at P44 billion and was reduced to P27 billion under the proposed budget for 2026," Nava said.

"The request of the Secretary is meant to cover the potential displacement of seven billion potential beneficiaries of AICS,” he added. –NB, GMA Integrated News