Senators Raise Alarm Over P50 Billion in Flood Control Funding in 2026 DPWH Budget

Senators are sounding the alarm over potential irregularities in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) proposed budget for 2026 specifically its massive flood control allocations. At a recent Senate budget hearing, lawmakers highlighted a disturbing pattern: approximately P50 billion worth of flood mitigation projects carry identical budget amounts, signaling possible manipulation or cherry-picking by powerful insiders. 

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, one of the leading voices in the session, pointed out that 373 separate line items covering flood control in Metro Manila and Central Luzon were each assigned the same allocation of P100 million. Beyond that, several other projects were uniformly set at P75 million, P120 million, and P150 million, a uniformity that strongly suggests bureaucratic rote insertion rather than thoughtful planning. 

Senator Erwin Tulfo reinforced the concern, noting similar patterns in Iloilo and Antique provinces where at least 13 projects each received an identical budget of P149.75 million 

Further underscoring the issue, some 500 flood control projects totaling over P50 billion bear identical allotments in the proposed P6.793 trillion National Expenditure Program, indicative of a deeper, perhaps systemic, anomaly.

In response, Senate panel head Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to review its internal processes, specifically questioning how such projects were shortlisted and budgeted. He also suggested that Malacañang consider a “negative list” of infrastructure projects that should be barred from funding, to deter further abuse.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also weighed in, calling for the proposed 2026 budget to be “cleaned out properly” to eliminate questionable or suspicious entries