Senators lament lack of masterplan against flooding

Senator Joel Villanueva on Monday slammed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over persistent flooding in Metro Manila and other areas in the country despite its annual budget for flood management. 

In a privilege speech, Villanueva said the DPWH received roughly P1.35 billion daily funding for flood management in the 2024 national budget—higher than the P280 billion, or at least P1.079 billion per day funding, it received in 2023. 

Villanueva also said a separate flood control-related budget worth around P1.44 billion a day was allocated to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Climate Change Commission (CCC). 

“Ang pondo ng Tulong-Trabaho Fund ng TESDA, P1.035 bilyon lang sa isang buong taon. Sa ginagastos ng DPWH sa flood control, makakapag-paaral na po tayo ng 67,147 TESDA scholars, makakapag-patayo na po tayo ng 700 classrooms, at makakapag-bigay na tayo ng Family Food Packs sa 1.78 milyong pamilya araw-araw,” the senator told the Plenary. 

(The TESDA Tulong-Trabaho Fund is just P1.035 billion. For the DPWH’s budget for flood control, we could help 67,147 TESDA scholars, build 700 classrooms and provide family food packs to 1.78 million families.)

Massive floodings devastated Metro Manila and nearby areas last week due to the onslaught of Tropical Cylone Carina and Southwest Monsoon. 

In its latest situation report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRM) said there were 36 reported fatalities due to the recent massive floods and heavy downpours. Of this number, 15 deaths in Metro Manila are still up for validation.

Several areas also declared a state of calamity due to the floods including Metro Manila, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, and Batangas. 

Villanueva, for his part, questioned the continued feasibility studies for flood control under the DPWH’s annual budget as he reiterated his call for a comprehensive masterplan to address the periennial problem.

“Hanggang kailan po ba tayo gagawa ng feasibility study na hindi naman na-iimplementa?” the legislator said. 

(Until when should we conduct feasibility study for something that doesn't get implemented?) 

“Hindi na po uubra ang band-aid solutions at relief operations na lang palagi kapag may bagyo. Wala pong Pilipino ang may gusto na lumikas sa kanilang mga tahanan at mamalagi sa mga evacuation centers. Wala pong may gusto na pumipila sila para makatanggap ng relief goods,” Villanueva added. 

(The band-aid solutions and relief operations will no longer work. Filipinos do not want to evacuate anymore.)

He also said the flooding problem will continue without clear solutions or masterplan. 

“Hangga’t wala po tayong klarong solusyon o masterplan, mananatili itong ‘unli-baha’, pero hindi po ‘unli’ ang resilience ng mga Pilipino, hindi po ‘unli’ ang pondo ng bayan, hindi po “unli” ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan,” he added. 

(Without a masterplan, we will continue to face our flood problem.)

DPWH, MMDA 2025 proposed budget

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee, backed Villanueva’s call and said the proposed 2025 budget of the DPWH and MMDA for flood management will undergo intense scrutiny. 

The Senate received the national expenditure program (NEP) for 2025 earlier. 

“We were just in receipt of the NEP budget for this coming year…Lumalabas na sa P900 billion na budget ng DPWH, P254B ang nakalaan sa flood management program. Ito ay mas tumaas pa sa nakalaan na budget for this 2024. Samantalang ang MMDA ay may sariling budget..P5.5B at 40% or P2.4B ang nakalaan sa flood control,” said Poe. 

(We were just in receipt of the NEP budget for this coming year…Out of the P900B DPWH budget, at least P254B were for flood management program. This is higher than last year’s budget. The MMDA also has P2.4B budget for flood control.)

“Sa darating na deliberations, dadaan sa butas ng karayom ang flood control budget ng DPWH, MMDA, at iba pang ahensya. Hindi sang-ayon na dagdagan ang budget para sa flood management hanggat hindi naipapaliwanag nang maayos kung paano at saan nila ginagastos ang mga pondo nang mga nagdaang taon,” she added. 

(The budget of DPWH and MMDA for flood control will undergo scrutiny during the budget deliberation.) — BM, GMA Integrated News