Dizon taps experts to prepare DPWH 2027 flood control plan

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has tapped environmental and flood management experts to prepare the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) comprehensive flood control plan which will be included in the agency’s proposed budget in 2027.

On Wednesday, Dizon held a meeting with University of the Philippines-Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) Executive Director Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay, UP Institute of Civil Engineering flood control systems expert Guillermo Tabios III, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Carlo Primo David, among others. 

The Public Works chief said the DPWH will form a technical working group (TWG) with the experts from various agencies and institutions to establish a “science-based flood control plan.”

In an interview with reporters following the meeting, Dizon said, “I'm asking this group to vet the plans… If they say the plans are good and the plans will have a positive effect on flood mitigation in various areas, then we will put those plans in the 2027 budget.”

In September, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said there would be no budget allocated for flood control projects in 2026 since there are still funds in 2025 that have yet to be utilized. 

Consistent with the President’s pronouncement, the House of Representatives approved its version of the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, which realigned the entire P255 billion of the DPWH’s initial proposed budget for locally-funded flood control projects

“We are in full support of the wisdom of the President when he said there will be no  locally funded flood control projects in 2026,” Dizon told reporters.

The DPWH chief said that the agency will prepare its proposed budget for 2027 “as early as February” together with the TWG.

If the proposed flood control projects originating from the DPWH’s district engineering offices will not get the green-light from the experts, Dizon stressed, “Hindi ko yan ilagay sa 2027 NEP (I will not include in the 2027 NEP),” referring to the National Expenditure Program.

“Sinasabi ko na ‘yun ngayon… walang papasok under my watch na flood control project na hindi sasabihin nitong group of experts na ito na, ‘tama yan,’ ‘okay yan,’ ‘dapat gawin’,” he said.

(I am saying it now… that under my watch, no flood control project will be included without this group of experts giving their go-signal.)

The DPWH chief said tapping flood management and environmental experts would ensure that the government’s flood control projects are carefully planned and will not be just a money-making scheme.

“Bottom line, we want to understand what DPWH needs to do to assist in not only flood mitigation but also overall management of water resources,” Dizon said. —RF, GMA Integrated News