Palace defends proposed P180-M evacuation centers per region

Malacañang defended Thursday the government’s uniform P180 million lump sum allocation for each region for the establishment of evacuation centers, saying there are ways to monitor projects that were funded but were not finished.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro issued the remark when asked about Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson’s statement flagging the budget.

“Marami po tayong paraan para makita natin kung may mga proyektong napondohan pero hindi nagawa dahil ‘yan naman po ang gusto ng ating pangulo,” Castro said at a briefing.

(We have many ways to determine whether there are projects that were funded but not implemented, because that is what our President wants.)

“Hindi na po nanaisin ng Pangulo na magkaroon ng mga ghost projects na nangyari sa mga nakaraang administrasyong at sa administrasyong kasalukuyan,” she added.

(The President will no longer tolerate ghost projects that occurred under previous administrations and the current administration.)

On Tuesday, Lacson said his scrutiny of the 2027 National Expenditure Program showed that the proposed evacuation centers lacked key details, including specific locations where they would be built.

He also expressed concern that the items indicated in the budget could become “political” or “election” budget.

For its part, the Department of Budget and Management said the absence of specific locations in the NEP did not mean that the evacuation centers have no identified implementation process.

It said that under the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in coordination with local government units, is mandated to identify and prioritize the sites while the Department of Public Works and Highways serves as the implementing agency.

“The sites must be selected based on technical considerations, including disaster risk topography, available land, and the actual needs of communities,” it said.

(The sites must be selected based on technical considerations, including disaster risk, topography, available land, and the actual needs of communities.)

“Thus, the specific locations are determined through the process prescribed by law rather than by DBM or DPWH discretion,” it added.

(Thus, the specific locations are determined through the process prescribed by law rather than at the discretion of the DBM or DPWH.)

Last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. submitted to the 20th Congress the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2027, saying the spending plan seeks to sustain economic growth while maintaining fiscal discipline. — RSJ, GMA News