Despite significant hikes in DPWH disaster-related funding, disaster impact remain high — UP-NCPAG

The Department of Public Works and Highways’ disaster-related allocations have consistently increased in recent years and yet “the impacts of disasters have remained high,” the University of the Philippines’ National College of Public Administration and Governance said.

In a policy note released on Friday, UP-NCPAG stressed that the DPWH is “critical to the government’s mandate of reducing the impact of disasters” and that the government agency “has been allocated much more for combatting climate and disaster risks.”

“All in all, disaster-related funding of the DPWH accounts for as much as 83% of the agency’s total budget in 2025, amounting to P926 billion. This is way bigger than the P248-billion tagged under the Flood Management Program,” UP-NCPAG said.

It added that the same trend was observed in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, the DPWH was given P684.48 billion for disaster risk reduction-related infrastructure projects, or 73% of its P 893.12 billion budget for that year.

In 2024, DRR-related infrastructure allocations went up to P836.83 billion or 83% of its P996.79 billion budget for that year.

However, UP-NCPAG pointed out that “despite these significant budgetary increases, the impacts of disasters have remained high.”

“While disaster risk reduction is not the sole responsibility of DPWH, as the agency that has been receiving the highest funding for DRR in the past years, its investments in infrastructure are certainly suspect and wanting,” part of the policy note read.

It added: "Its flood control projects alone are supposed to abate damage, but with many of these projects being substandard, if existing at all, it is no wonder that the impact of flooding to communities remains high, especially in areas where the flood control structures are supposed to be located.”

UP-NCPAG added that from 2015 to 2024, the DPWH had the highest climate change expenditures among all government agencies.

In 2024 alone, its climate change-related projects amounted to P375-billion and accounts only for the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of various flood mitigation and control structures. This excludes roads which are otherwise counted as climate mitigation measures by other agencies.

The DPWH is also a consistent top recipient under the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management (NDRRM) Fund. From 2018 to 2024, it received an additional P63.733 billion, accounting for 46.15% of NDRRMF releasees annually.

The government agency also received augmentation funds from Unprogrammed Appropriations that are intended for flood control and other related infrastructure projects.

In 2024, DPWH received an additional P155.881-billion from the UA under the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Projects, and P60.847-billion from the UA in 2023 for Priority Infrastructure Programs for Roads, Bridges, Multi-Purpose Buildings/Facilities, Flood Control, and Water Systems.

UP-NCPAG pointed out that even with higher allocations for flood mitigation, "there is still a clear divide between the budget investments to solve the national flooding issues versus the infrastructural damage sustained predominantly from flooding itself.”

“The data reveals that this crisis is not a funding issue, and therefore increasing money allocation at this problem has empirically not worked. The demonstrable pattern of high expenditure across a large quantity of flood control projects, superimposed with poor mitigation performance, is a strong indication of systemic flaws,” the policy note added.

The same study also found that P115 billion was allocated for “shadow” flood control projects or projects outside the DPWH’s official Flood Management Program in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Data from DRRM Council (2017-2023) and DPWH’s Flood Management Program Project (2018-2024) showed trends that suggest fund mismanagement and potential misappropriation.

Albay, for example, has had 273 flood control projects since 2018 and P16.2 billion of taxpayers’ money for flood mitigation.

However, the province incurred P7.3 billion worth of infrastructure damage from 2017 to 2023, the highest in the country. A similar pattern was also observed in other parts of the country.

To address the following issues, UP-NCPAG laid out the following actions:

For the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to expand its investigation outside the FMPs that are tagged as flood control structures and disaster-related structures;

For lawmakers to transfer the DPWH’s disaster risk reduction function to a “dedicated agency;” and

For concerned agencies to strengthen budget accountability mechanisms. — JMA, GMA Integrated News