By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Marcos administration will restore funding for flood control projects in its proposed 2027 national budget, ending a one-year freeze imposed amid a massive corruption scandal that led to charges against lawmakers and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Malacañang on Tuesday said legitimate and necessary flood mitigation projects may once again receive government funding under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), provided they pass strict validation and monitoring measures.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the government is reviewing previously suspended projects to determine whether they remain essential for protecting communities from flooding and other weather-related disasters.
“If a flood control project is legitimate and was only halted because it was not implemented, yet remains necessary, then it should still be funded,” Castro said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier assured the public that flood control infrastructure would be included in the 2027 budget to help shield communities from the destructive effects of typhoons, overflowing rivers, and severe flooding.
Projects being considered include the construction and rehabilitation of:
Cutoff channels
Dikes
Drainage systems
Flood mitigation structures
Retarding basins
Revetments
Slope protection facilities
Spur dikes
Waterways and embankments
Speaking in Cebu after inspecting rehabilitation works along the Mananga River in Talisay City, Marcos emphasized that the administration would protect the allocation from political interference during the budget process.
“This is part of the budget, and we will ensure that it will not be touched when it undergoes the budget process,” the President said.
Castro said tighter monitoring mechanisms are now in place to prevent a repeat of the alleged irregularities that plagued previous flood control programs.
She noted that Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon was tasked with implementing reforms within the DPWH, while the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), led by Secretary Kim Robert de Leon, has pledged to withhold funding from projects that fail planning and compliance requirements.
“President Marcos promised there will be no repeat of the flood control mess,” Castro said.
In September last year, at the height of the controversy involving allegedly anomalous flood control projects, Marcos ordered a zero-budget policy for locally funded flood control works while the DPWH and DBM conducted a comprehensive review.
The decision resulted in the removal of approximately P250 billion in proposed flood management funding and reduced the DPWH’s approved 2026 budget to P504.3 billion, significantly lower than its original request of P881.3 billion.
The National Expenditure Program serves as the executive branch’s proposed spending plan and becomes the basis for the General Appropriations Bill in Congress. Once approved by both chambers and signed by the President, it becomes the General Appropriations Act.
The administration’s decision to restore funding signals a renewed commitment to flood mitigation while attempting to address longstanding concerns over corruption and project implementation. Government officials insist that only vetted and necessary projects will be allowed to proceed under the 2027 budget framework.
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