The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received around P980.25 billion budget for flood control projects from 2023 to 2025, according to data gathered by GMA Integrated News Research.
This is equivalent to an average of P326.75 billion flood control budget for each year.
In Joseph Morong’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, the DPWH said that it would submit next week to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the list of flood control projects to determine which were already finished and which are the “ghost” projects
However, state auditors in 2023 noted that the implementation of some foreign-assisted flood control projects were delayed.
“…The DPWH disclosed that the Department was not able to efficiently implement 17 official development assistance (ODA) funded projects …as indicated by the reported year-end physical accomplishment with negative slippages ranging from 0.78% to 36.60%, increase in contact costs, and/or prolonged implementation period,” according to an audit report by the Commission on Audit.
Among the delayed projects were the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project, which seeks to deepen the Pasig River and Marikina River to mitigate overflowing. Also affected are the Metro Manila Flood Management Project, Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project, and Cagayan de Oro Flood Risk Management Project.
But the DPWH explained that the implementation of some projects was delayed due to budget constraints.
“We have been already cautioned by the lending institutions, actually, because napapansin daw nila that the appropriations we are putting into these projects are not adequate actually to sustain the momentum of the implementation,” said DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan.
Furthermore, the DPWH stated that one of the challenges it is facing is the programs that did not undergo scrutiny for the government’s National Expenditure Program. These affect the budget of existing projects causing their delays.
“Maraming dagdag, sabi ng President…To the detriment of the program of the President na hindi dumaan sa amin for vetting or preparation…Alam mo naman Congress has the power of the purse, dito na yung mga additional items,” said Bonoan.
Under the national budget for 2025, Marcos vetoed the P16.72 billion budget for the DPWH’s flood control projects.
Marcos warned the Congress in his recent State of the Nation Address that he will vote against any budget allocations that are not part of the National Expenditure Program. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News
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