EDITORIAL — Finally, evacuation centers, but…

Despite repeated opposition from the Department of Education, schools are again serving as evacuation centers amid the continuing heavy rainfall and massive flooding.

The government appears set to finally address the problem. Under the P7.2-trillion national budget proposed for 2027, P3.06 billion has been allocated for evacuation centers across the country.

It looks like a positive development. The sorry state of the typical evacuation center is among the top reasons for the refusal of many people to abandon their homes for timely evacuation even when a powerful typhoon approaches or there are warnings of a volcanic eruption.

School gyms are typically used as evacuation centers, and there is always a lack of bathrooms, sanitation facilities and clean water for the many families seeking temporary shelter. Overcrowding in an area that often lacks tents or even dividers also facilitates the spread of diseases especially among children and the elderly. Many families also need special areas for their pets.

Perhaps the proposed funding for 2027 will address these problems. But Sen. Panfilo Lacson is leery of the uniform lump sum of P180 million allocated to each of the country’s 17 regions, with key details such as project locations not provided.

Regions face varying disaster risks and evacuation centers must be tailored for these needs. Some regions may need more evacuation centers, he pointed out.

As the nation has seen, any lump sum appropriation, with officials given wide discretion to decide how the funds are spent, is also prone to abuse and corruption.

Lacson, who has been scrutinizing the national budget for many years now, also flagged the whopping P2.46 trillion – about 34.1 percent of the total – allotted to various social services including aid handouts.

He noted that with the general elections set in May 2028, the 2027 outlay could effectively serve as an election budget, with politicians finding ways of using public funds in aid of their election.

Ayuda programs in particular are popular tools of politicians for self-promotion. While direct aid is not bad per se, Lacson said ayuda must be balanced with long-term development spending.

The flood control program lacks this long-term approach. Local and national government officials can’t even agree on who should take the lead in developing an integrated master plan for a long-term flood management program.

Judicious fund utilization is critical in getting the flood control projects and evacuation centers that we need. Every spending item in the proposed national budget must be subjected to close scrutiny.