P275 billion earmarked for flood control in 2026 budget
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has carved out P274.9 billion to tackle the country’s flood problems.
The DBM told Philstar.com that a total of P274.926 billion has been dedicated to flood control, most of which is with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“P272.333 billion or 99% will be used to finance the necessary and relevant Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and Capital Outlay (CO) items under the DPWH,” DBM Undersecretary Goddess Hope Libiran said in a message.
The MOOE refers to costs that typically cover day-to-day operations and the upkeep of facilities, while the CO is for goods and services that last beyond a year.
Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) gets the remaining flood control funds in the NEP, amounting to P2.593 billion.
In the DPWH’s proposed 2026 budget, maintenance for several major flood projects was set at a flat P100 million each, including the Agno Flood Control Structures, the Iloilo Flood Control Structures, and the East and West Mangahan Flood Control Structures.
The DBM’s proposed flood control budget for 2026 is not far from the 2025 allocation, which was set at roughly the same amount.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared that corruption in flood control projects must be purged. He has since ordered an audit of the flood projects initiated during his term.
Preliminary results of the probe revealed that out of the P545 billion allocated for flood control, P350 billion had been spent on projects lacking key details.
The President also disclosed that only 15 contractors had cornered P100 billion of the total allocations for flood control.
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