Bloated flood control budget slammed after 'Carina' flooded Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — A senator questioned the bloated budget for flood control projects which still failed to curb the flooding in Metro Manila and nearby areas after Super Typhoon Carina.

“The worsening flooding in Metro Manila appears not to complement the increasing budget we are allocating for flood control projects every year,” Sen. Grace Poe, a former public services committee chair, said on Friday.

Poe vowed to scrutinize the proposed flood control budget next year of the DPWH and the MMDA.

Poe is the new Senate finance committee chair, taking on the position vacated by former senator now Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

The finance committee is tasked to tackle the national government expenditure program.

“In the upcoming budget deliberation, we will scrutinize the flood control budget of the DPWH, MMDA and other agencies. Did the flood just flush away the billions of funds for flood mitigation?” Poe asked.

“With every downpour, our taxpayers are left shortchanged and wading through damaging and disease-carrying floods,” she added.

According to the 2024 General Appropriations Act, DPWH has a P244.6-billion budget in its flood management program, a significant chunk of its total P996.79-billion budget this year.

During the budget deliberations last year, then senator now Senate President Francis Escudero hit the DPWH’s proposed P255-billion flood control budget, which surpassed the total proposed budget of other agencies like the Department of National Defense and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. — Bella Cariaso, Ghio Ong, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Art Dumlao, Ramon Efren Lazaro