President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has clarified that there will be no zero budget for flood-control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in 2026, despite strong calls from lawmakers to drastically reduce or even scrap the allocation.
Under the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), around ₱274.9 billion has been earmarked for flood-control initiatives—₱272.3 billion for the DPWH and ₱2.6 billion for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. This figure is lower than the ₱346.6 billion allocated in 2025 but still represents one of the largest infrastructure line items.
Marcos has ordered a sweeping review of the DPWH budget following concerns over duplicate and questionable entries. “We cannot allow padded projects or those that do not directly benefit flood-prone communities,” the President stressed, adding that he would not hesitate to veto suspicious appropriations even if it meant operating under a reenacted budget.
Lawmakers, however, remain divided. Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has proposed cutting ₱250.8 billion from the DPWH’s flood-control allocation, arguing that more funds should go to health, education, and food security. Senator Bam Aquino has gone further, warning that he may push to delete the entire flood-control allocation unless it is tightly focused on areas that consistently suffer from flooding.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has acknowledged the criticisms, saying that the department itself recommended a “major overhaul” of its 2026 flood-control budget to remove duplication and re-align funds to priority projects.
Civil society groups and watchdogs have also joined the debate, calling for an independent probe into alleged “excessive corruption” in flood-control projects. Both Congress and Malacañang have signaled support for investigations into questionable spending.
For now, the flood-control budget remains intact, though significantly reduced compared to last year. Whether Congress will approve further cuts—or heed calls for total deletion—remains to be seen as deliberations on the 2026 budget continue.
Sources: Philstar, GMA News, ABS-CBN, SunStar, Senate of the Philippines, Reuters, AP News
