2027 budget: Flood control in itself not bad but vigilance needed, say lawmakers

Some members of the House of Representatives on Monday defended the possible inclusion of funding for flood control projects in the proposed 2027 national budget.

"Importante na mabigyan po ng pondo yung mga flood mitigation na infrastructure projects," House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega said in an ambush interview today.

(It's important for flood mitigation infrastructure projects to be given funds.)

"Halos isang taon po higit na wala pong flood mitigation projects. Maganda po na balikan ito tutal nandiyan naman po yung teknolohiya," he added.

(There have been no flood mitigation projects for nearly a year. It would be good to go back to them as the technology is there.)

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday formally submitted to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. the ₱7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fiscal year 2027.

In a press conference after the submission, House Deputy Speaker Janette Garin said that people must be vigilant, but flood control projects cannot be abandoned.

Allocations for locally funded flood control projects were removed from the 2026 budget after the discovery of substandard and ghost flood control projects.

Ortega cited Project NOAH—which maps areas with high risk of floods, landslides, and storm surges—and the use of drones in identifying areas where projects may be implemented.

"Maganda po na pag-usapan, maganda po na ayusin yung implementation, at balikan po itong mga ganitong klase ng projects without po na ma-prejudice naman po yung silbi talaga nila at saka yung functionality ng mga infrastructure na ito," he said.

(It would be good to discuss, and to fix the implementation, and bring back these kinds of projects without prejudice against their usefulness and their functionality.)

"Ang alam ko naman po, yung mga nandun po sa red zones at saka orange zones sa Project NOAH po, sila po yung parang mabibigyan ng prayoridad ng national government. I'm sure nakalagay din po sa NEP [National Expenditure Program] yon, yung mga lugar na yon," he added.

(What I know is, the areas in the red and orange zones on Project NOAH should be given priority by the national government. I'm sure that's also included in the NEP, those places.)

When asked if the funding for flood control projects will be included in the proposed 2027 National Budget, Ortega replied, "Well, I think magkakaroon ng funding for that. Pero on the approval, the implementation, yung vetting niya, doon po medyo siguro mas specific saka mas maano po yung pag-a-approve nito. Marami pong dadaanan na approval, marami pong dadaanan na vetting, marami pong dadaanan na documentation."

(I think there will be funding for that. But on the approval, the implementation, the vetting, that is probably where it has to be more specific. It should go through a lot of approvals, vetting, documentation.)

"I'm sure marami pong members and the majority of the House members, meron pong magrerekomenda diyan, lalong-lalo na nga po yung mga identified po under the red zones, under po dun sa mga lugar na matindi po yung pagbabaha," he added.

(I'm sure many members, the majority of House members, who would recommend it, especially those in the identified red zones, where the flooding is severe.)

Ortega himself identified several priority projects in his district in the first district of La Union such as a spillway bridge, cisterns, and bigger drainage.

"May proseso po yan eh. Mula barangay, city, probinsya, hanggang sa national po. Dinaanan po ng proseso yan. Pag hindi po kompleto yung validation, saka wala po yung coordinates, hindi po talaga papasa yan at magkakaroon po ng additional funding. Kasi dumaan po siya sa matinding vetting since po nung nangyari po ng last year," he explained.

(There's a process. From barangay to city to province and national. If the validation is not complete, and there are no coordinates, then it should not pass for additional funding. Because it would have passed intense vetting after what happened last year.)

Marikina City Rep Miro Quimbo on flood control projects: Importante ang flood control. Ibig kong sabihin, kaya kami naging safe sa Marikina is coz of flood control programs… Flood control by itself is not necessarily bad but it is how you implement it. @gmanews @gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/cncBZW29MW

— Tina PanganibanPerez (@tinapperez) August 10, 2026

'Not bad in itself'

Marikina 2nd district Representative Miro Quimbo said his district benefited from flood control projects.

"Nakita naman natin na importante ang flood control. Ibig kong sabihin, kaya kami naging safe sa Marikina is because of the flood control programs of the national government," Quimbo said in a separate ambush interview today.

(We've seen how important flood control is. I mean, it's how we became safer in Marikina, because of the flood control programs of the national government.)

"Flood control by itself is not necessarily bad but it is how you implement it. Hindi naman nalalayo yan. Parang pag binibigyan mo ng baril ang isang tao. Kapag ito'y ginagamit nang tama ng mga sundalo para ipagtanggol tayo, okay. Pero kung hindi ginagamit para sa tama, ito'y nakakapinsala," he explained.

(It's like if you give someone a gun. If it's used properly by a soldier to protect us, okay. But if it's used for ill, it will be destructive.)

He emphasized that funding for flood control projects should continue but there should be transparency and accountability.

"I think today, yung safeguards na yon have already been put in place, iyong guardrails. Because ngayon, ang unang-una, matagal namin ipinaglalaban, kapag merong changes or amendments sa budget, dapat ina-identify kung sino yung movant, sino yung taong humingi na para ito ay mailagay," Quimbo said.

(We have long fought that if there are changes or amendments to the budget, whoever asked for these changes must be identified.)

"Since last year, sinimulan natin na kung ang taong ito, senador na ito, congressman na ito, o ang department na ito ang humingi ng amendment sa ating National Expenditure Program o ang GAA (General Appropriations Act,) ay nakikita natin kung sino. And I think it really starts with that. When you know who is the person who proposed it, siya ang pwede natin singilin kung bakit pumalpak ito o bakit ito ay maganda," he explained.

(Since last year, it has been that we are able to see whoever senator, congressman or department is asking for an amendment in the national budget...When you know who is the person who proposed it, they can be held accountable for if it fails or succeeds.)

Change the funding

ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio recognizes the importance of flood control projects but insists that how these are funded and implemented should be changed.

"Malinaw na kailangan ng mga flood control projects. Pero siguro ang kailangan baguhin ay yung pagpondo sa flood control projects na patingi-tingi dahil hinahati-hati sa mga distrito at may limitasyon dahil meron lang alokasyon ang kongresista at senador," Tinio said in a separate ambush interview today.

"So kaya ang kaya lang pondohan ay 150 meters tapos wala na, putol na. samantala, ang mga flood control project kailangan buo at multi-year ang pagpondo rito, hindi kakayanin ng isang senador o isang kongresista lamang batay sa kanyang alokasyon. So dapat baguhin talaga yung pagpaplano at pagpopondo ng flood control para di na mangyari yung flood control scam," he added.

Tinio also asked how this will affect funding for social services.

"May impact ito, may magiging impact ito sa ibang mga departments. Kasi for this year's budget, yung pondong nalibre dahil hindi pinondohan yung flood control, nilagay sa education. Nadagdagan ang education, nadagdagan ang health, at ang iba pang social services. Kaya ngayon, ang tanong, kung ibabalik ang flood control, mababawasan ba ang budget para sa social services? So kailangang bantayan natin ito," he said.

"Importante rin na matutukan itong flood control budget kasi hindi pa rin naman napapanagot ang mga corrupt at ang corruption dito. So hindi puwedeng sabihin na nakalipas na ang isang taon, ibalik na natin. Wala pa rin malinaw na safeguards na yung mga nangyari noong nakaraan ay hindi mauulit," Tinio added. — BM, GMA News