Gov’t vows to finish flood control projects

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Kim Robert De Leon delivers his remarks during the formal turnover of the proposed FY 2027 National Budget at the House of Representatives on August 11, 2026. (Courtesy: DBM)

The government will prioritize the completion of ongoing flood control projects and the operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure under the proposed 2027 national budget, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Kim Robert De Leon said Friday.

“That was the agreement that we had with the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], that the priority for 2027 would be given completion of already ongoing projects and operation and maintenance of already completed projects,” De Leon said during the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) economic forum at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Manila.

The DBM proposed to allocate P107.4 billion for flood control projects under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), after such funding was excluded from this year’s budget amid concerns over alleged anomalous and nonexistent infrastructure projects. The amount is lower than the P350 billion allocated in 2025.

“When we talk about flood control projects, it’s not just about the infrastructure. There are also components of flood control projects that include the pumping stations, the other machineries that come with it. So, that will have a cost requirement in terms of operation and maintenance. That’s a portion of the flood control project that is now part again of the 2027 NEP,” De Leon said.

The DBM strictly filtered DPWH’s proposals to focus on project completion and the continuing operation and maintenance of completed infrastructure, De Leon said. The DBM also required the DPWH to submit complete documentation for all proposed flood control projects and other infrastructure projects under the agency.

“We have the full documentation of it including the budget forms, the location, the geotagging, and the program of works to make sure that this will not be a ghost project as have earlier been reported in the previous years,” De Leon said. — Thony Rose Lesaca