This photo taken on Nov. 19, 2024 shows many areas in Tuguegarao City, the provincial capital of Cagayan, still submerged in floodwaters caused by the swelling of Cagayan River and its tributaries, two days after Super Typhoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi) left the country. — CAGAYAN PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE FACEBOOK PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Despite the flak it received for supposedly failing to implement an integrated flood control master plan, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will still be getting P1-billion funding “every single day” for its flood-control programs, Sen. Joel Villanueva said on Friday.
In an ambush interview, Villanueva was pressed to disclose how much the country’s flood-control fund is for 2025.
“I don’t have the exact figures right now, but this year, the entire government has P1.44 billion a day. But next year, the DPWH alone would be getting P1 billion at least again for every single day of the flood control program,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
According to Villanueva, the DPWH has committed to providing a “catch-up plan” detailing how it will implement flood-control projects based on the budget they would receive.
“Because even right now, the foreign assistance projects included in the budget cannot be budgeted because there is a right of way issue. There are problems with delays, etc. So if that’s the case, why are we wasting the allocated budget?” Villanueva asked.
However, according to the senator, he would be inclined to push for the reduction of DPWH’s flood-control funding and “transfer it for another use” should the agency fail to provide a cohesive and justifiable catch-up plan.
READ: Villanueva to DPWH: Where did P61.42-B flood control budget for Bicol go