Marcos removes P16.7B worth of flood control projects in 2025 budget

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vetoed or removed at least P16.7 billion worth of flood control projects in various regions nationwide under the P6.326 trillion national budget for 2025 which he signed Monday.

In his veto message, the President removed the following budget provisions for flood control related projects:

• P4.58 billion for Construction/ Maintenance of Flood Mitigation Structures and Drainage Systems 
• P2.88 billion for Construction/ Rehabilitation of Flood Mitigation Facilities within Major River Basins and Principal Rivers 
• P182.7 million for Construction/ Rehabilitation of Water Supply/ Septage and Sewerage/ Rain Water Collectors
• P9 billion for Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps- Flood Mitigation Structures protecting Major/ Strategic Public Buildings/ Facilities and
• P150 million for Basic Infrastructure Program-Flood Mitigation Structures protecting Major/ Strategic Public Buildings/ Facilities

The President rejected the highest amount of flood control projects in Region 3 with P7 billion, followed by Region 2 with P3.2 billion. 

The rest of the regions with vetoed flood control projects were:

• Region 5 with P2.73 billion
• National Capital Region with P1.75 billion 
• Region 1 with P1.1 billion
• Region 6 with P300 million
• Region 4A with P275 million
• Region 4B with P250 million
• Region 7 with P100 million

GMA Integrated News Research found that of the vetoed projects, 107 were related to flood control, 49 were for water supply, and 25 were for multipurpose buildings.

Here is a list of the other items vetoed or programs put in conditional implementation by the President.

"Ito pong mga vineto [veto] kasi na items karamihan po dito ay hindi kasama doon sa proposed President’s budget iyong tinatawag po natin na National Expenditure Program kung saan nakalagay iyong mga proposed projects/infrastructure projects ng mismong mga implementing agencies like DPWH or MMDA,'' Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Goddes Libiran said on the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.

(The majority of the vetoed items are not part of the President's budget or the National Expenditure Program, which contains the proposed projects/infrastructure projects of implementing agencies like the DPWH and the MMDA.)

''Ngayon, binusisi po kung ano iyong mga projects na iyon na hindi naman kasama doon sa NEP, tiningnan kung alin doon iyong mga implementation-ready, alin iyong mga hindi pa talaga mai-implement, alin iyong mga ambiguous. So, iyong mga lumabas na hindi pa talaga implementation-ready or ambiguous projects iyon po iyong tinanggal,'' she added.

(The projects not originally in the NEP were checked to see if these are implementation-ready, which are ambiguous. Only those that turn out to be not implementation-ready or ambiguous projects were removed.)

Back in November, the President said he was okay with Congress’ scrutiny of flood control projects amid a series of tropical cyclones that hit the country, leaving scores of areas flooded for days and even killing over 100 individuals. 

''Oo, Sige! Wala akong problema. But also they have to realize there are two sides to this. Sinasabi 'yung flood control-- talagang na-overwhelm ang flood control natin. May flood control tayo, hindi kaya,'' he said. 

(Yes, I don't have a problem with that. But they also have to realize there are two sides to this. Our flood control projects were overwhelmed. We have flood control but they were overwhelmed.)

In his veto message on the 2025 national budget where he rejected P26 billion worth of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects, including the P16.7 billion flood-control initiatives, the President said DPWH items were “not consistent” with the programs, projects, and activities under the administration's Build Better More infrastructure program, on top of taking into account urgency of need, implementation-readiness, and agency absorptive capacity.

EXPLAINER: How the President's veto works on the national budget

In a separate statement, House appropriations panel chairperson Zaldy Co welcomed the President’s veto action.

“This [budget] underscores our commitment to using the power of the purse and crafting a budget aligned with the administration’s 8-point agenda," Co said.

“We respect the President’s constitutional prerogative and judgment,” Co added.

“Congress remains committed to working closely with the executive branch,” he said.

In the signed GAA, the education sector, including the DepEd and other education offices, was allotted with P1.055 trillion while DPWH was given P1.007. The President vowed that education would remain as the top priority of his administration. —AOL/VBL, GMA Integrated News