Nearly P1 trillion allotted for flood control projects from 2023-2025
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
4 hours ago
- GMA Network
DPWH-11 denies post linking delay of project in Davao City to politics
A social media post showing a large sign allegedly posted at the Maa Flyover project site in Davao City went viral after it claimed that the project was delayed due to political interference. The sign accused the Marcos and Romualdez administration of political pressure, which allegedly caused the delay of the project. It also alleged that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) failed to address the road right-of-way issues, withheld the budget, and showed sluggish action from its legal office. When GMA Regional TV One Mindanao visited the site on Saturday, August 2, 2025, no sign was found at the site. In a statement, DPWH-Davao (DPWH-11) denied the claims made in the viral post and clarified that the project is not being politicized. 'The claim that the project is being delayed due to alleged political issues involving the current administration is false and misleading,' DPWH-11 said. DPWH-11 said the Maa-Magtuod Flyover project has been fully funded since 2022, and the funds needed for the completion of the project have already been released. It added that civil works are ongoing at 82.5 percent. The agency explained that the project is facing minor concerns on road right-of-way involving a few properties and utilities. Most of these concerns have already been resolved while some are awaiting funds for settlement. 'As of now, four properties have been tagged as urgent for acquisition and are currently being processed by the office. The acquisition took time for these properties due to existing mortgage lien issues with their land titles. Yet, the office is actively coordinating with their respective mortgagee banks,' DPWH-11 added. DPWH-11 also coordinated with the Davao Light and Power Company and telecommunication companies for the relocation of the poles affected. DPWH-11 assured the public that the project remains a top priority. The government has allocated more than P1.4 billion for the project. The construction began in 2021 and is expected to be finished by 2026.
GMA Network
10 hours ago
- GMA Network
House to prioritize agency-backed amendments in 2026 budget
The House of Representatives will prioritize the inclusion of amendments backed by government agencies in the proposed 2026 national budget while also hearing out parochial concerns, House appropriations panel chairperson Mikaela Suansing said Tuesday. Suansing said it is understandable for House members to push for government projects to address the needs of their constituents "but on the part of the House, given the limited fiscal space, what we [will] prioritize are institutional amendments." "Parochial amendments are for the needs of a particular locality, while institutional amendments emanate from the [government agencies] themselves. That is what we are looking at,' she told reporters. However, she said, it does not mean that the amendments to be put forward by House members will be readily dismissed. The presence of budget watchdogs and public availability of committee level proceedings, Suansing said, will ensure that the amendments to be included in the national budget will be meritorious whether they are suggested by government agencies or members of Congress. "The deliberation on the new House subcommittee on budget amendments review will be available to the public, including via livestream. So anybody who will sit on this committee and put forward amendments and how will it be resolved will be known by the public,' the lawmaker said. She was referring to the new House appropriations subpanel in charge of budget amendments, replacing the small committee which used to be a tight-knit unit composed of lawmakers collating amendments proposed by House members after the budget is approved at plenary level. 'Because the deliberations are transparent, maiiwasan na po talaga natin 'yung pagkakaroon ng mga insertions na iintindihan naman namin na 'yun 'yung pinagmumulan ng pangamba ng ating mga kababayan,' Suansing added. (Because the deliberations are transparent, we will be able to avoid insertions that cause distrust among the public.) In the same interview, Suansing said President Ferdinand Marcos,Jr.'s statement during his fourth State of the Nation Address that he is willing to delay the signing of the proposed national budget if it does not align with the administration's priorities should not be viewed as an attempt to clip Congress' power of the purse. 'The statement of the President does not undermine the power of the purse of Congress because the the President has very specific priorities in terms of what social services, what projects he would like prioritized. That is the alignment that the President is asking Congress to focus on,' she said. 'I believe it is not undermining the House but rather its a please, ensure that the administration's priority programs are taken cared of. And we saw that the President's priority is human capital development, including education, labor, and health. For our part, those are also the programs that we will support because human capital development is very important in ensuring our country's economic future for many many generations,' she added. In a separate statement, Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco welcomed the abolition of the small committee which he earlier flagged for supposed unlawful intervention in the budget process. 'We thank the House committee on appropriations for heeding our call. The small committee was not transparent, so we must abolish it. The fact that they agreed to abolish the small committee proves that I was correct,' he said. Still, Tiangco insisted that all individual amendments of the House members should be discussed in a plenary session. However, he emphasized that the removal of the small committee is just the first step toward promoting transparency in budget deliberations. 'All individual amendments must be discussed in plenary before the approval of the House General Appropriations Bill on second reading. A lengthy line item list [of amendments] is not an excuse. If that is the case, we must work overtime,' Tiangco said in a statement. 'Trabaho namin 'yan. Kahit gaano kahirap, dapat naming gampanan (That is our job so we must do it no matter how hard it is). No ifs and buts," he added. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10 hours ago
- GMA Network
Marcos declares Paoay Lake a protected area
A view of Paoay Lake from Malacañang of the North. (File photo) President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has declared Paoay Lake in Ilocos Norte a protected area to ensure its conservation, protection, management, and rehabilitation. In signing Republic Act 12230 on August 4, Marcos said the Paoay Lake Protected Landscape (PLPL) was 'in recognition of the richness of biological resources, both flora and fauna, that are native and distinct to Paoay Lake as well as their aesthetic and ecological importance.' Ilocos Norte is the hometown of the President. According to the law, it is the State's policy to secure the perpetual existence of all native plants and animals for Filipinos' present and future generations through the declaration of protected areas under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS). The law mandated the creation of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). Some of its members are the regional executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the provincial governor, senators who are Ilocos Norte residents, the representative of the congressional district that includes the PLPL, and the mayor of Paoay. The Board's responsibilities include overseeing the management of the PLPL, approving policies, plans, and programs for the area's management, allocating financial resources for the implementation of the management plan, and setting fees and charges. The Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) will supervise daily management, protection, and administration of the PLPL. The law also established the Paoay Lake Protected Landscape Integrated Protected Area Fund (PLPL-IPAF) to support projects and operations. Funding will be provided by the permitted sale and export of flora and fauna and other resources from the PLPL, the leasing of multiple-use areas, contributions from businesses and facilities that directly benefit from the PLPL, and other fees collected from PLPL operations. The fund may be augmented by grants, donations, and endowments from various domestic and foreign sources and shall be deposited as a special account in the National Treasury. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
