Without a master plan or clear direction for its flood control program, the government risks wasting more taxpayers’ money, including the P107.4 billion earmarked for flood control under the proposed 2027 budget, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday.
Lacson said this is one of the questions he will raise at the Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) briefing, which is scheduled to start on Aug. 27.
“Are we following a flood management program? If not, we are just wasting money because we have no direction,” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DZXL radio.
“In the proposed 2027 budget, some P107 billion is earmarked for flood control projects. A good question to ask is, how will it be spent? Are there overall programs for this? If so, where are they?” he added.
In Filipino: Lacson: Kung Walang Malinaw na Direksyon sa Flood Control Program, Masasayang Na Naman ang Pera ng Taumbayan
On Monday evening, Lacson lamented that the government spent P1.939 trillion on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s flood control management program from 2011 to 2025, yet floods remain uncontrolled.
This does not include the funds poured into other agencies for flood control programs, he noted.
Lacson, who last year pressed for a long-term and integrated master planning for flood control, cited an observation by former DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson, who said the general plan formulated during the Aquino administration was not followed after the late President Benigno Aquino III stepped down from office in 2016.
“That’s the thing with us, there’s no continuity. In the US, roads are planned for 20 years, regardless of which administration implements them. Here we are fond of groundbreaking, ribbon-cutting and rushing projects for completion before an administration’s term ends,” Lacson said.
“There’s no continuity. Each administration insists on having its own plan,” he added.
Lacson said continuity in planning is particularly important for flood control because projects need to be implemented as part of an integrated, long-term program rather than as individual projects under different administrations.
He also stressed the need for greater public scrutiny during the implementation phase of the budget, rather than limiting transparency to the budget preparation and authorization stages.
The public and media should monitor projects while they are being implemented, including the contractors undertaking them, he pointed out.
“Public interest stops after Congress passes and the bill is enrolled. But implementation is more important,” Lacson said.
Meanwhile, Lacson said his staff is coordinating with civil society organizations like the University of the Philippines’ National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) to comb through the proposed budget.
“The proposed budget has thousands of pages. So more heads are better than one, or two, or three,” he said.
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Lacson: Kung Walang Malinaw na Direksyon sa Flood Control Program, Masasayang Na Naman ang Pera ng Taumbayan
Kung walang master plan o malinaw na direksyon para sa flood control program nito, nanganganib na masayang na naman ang pera ng taumbayan, kabilang ang P107.4 bilyong nakalaan para sa flood control sa ilalim ng panukalang 2027 budget, diin ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Martes.
Sinabi ni Lacson na isa ito sa mga tanong na ihaharap niya sa briefing ng Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC), na nakatakdang magsimula sa Agosto 27.
“Meron ba tayong sinusunod na flood management program? Kasi kung wala, magsasayang na naman tayo ng pera, walang direction,” aniya sa panayam sa DZXL radio.
“(Sa 2027 budget), may P107 bilyon na naman na nakalagak para sa FCP. Yan ang magandang itanong ngayon. Paano gagastusin, saan at meron bang pangkalahatang programa,” dagdag niya.
Noong Lunes ng gabi, binatikos ni Lacson ang paggastos ng pamahalaan ng P1.939 trilyon sa flood control management program ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) mula 2011 hanggang 2025, ngunit nananatiling hindi kontrolado ang pagbaha.
Hindi pa kasama rito ang mga pondong inilaan sa iba pang ahensya para sa kanilang mga flood control program, aniya.
Binanggit ni Lacson, na nanawagan noong nakaraang taon para sa isang pangmatagalan at integrated na master planning para sa flood control, ang obserbasyon ni dating DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson na hindi sinunod ang general plan na binuo noong administrasyong Aquino matapos bumaba sa puwesto noong 2016 ang yumaong Pangulong Benigno Aquino III.
“Yan ang mahirap talaga sa atin, walang continuity. Di tulad sa US halimbawa ang paggawa nila ng kalsada 20 years from now nakaplano na maski sino pangulo yan ang mapa yan ang planong sinusunod. Dito mahilig tayo sa groundbreaking, ribbon cutting, at ang gusto bago matapos ang termino tapos na ang proyekto,” giit ni Lacson.
“Walang continuity. Kanya kanyang diskarte,” dagdag niya.
Sinabi ni Lacson na partikular na mahalaga ang continuity sa pagpaplano para sa flood control dahil kailangang ipatupad ang mga proyekto bilang bahagi ng isang integrated at pangmatagalang programa sa halip na magkakahiwalay na proyekto sa ilalim ng magkakaibang administrasyon.
Binigyang-diin din niya ang pangangailangan para sa mas mahigpit na pampublikong pagsubaybay sa yugto ng pagpapatupad ng badyet, sa halip na malimitahan ang transparency sa mga yugto lamang ng paghahanda at awtorisasyon ng badyet.
Aniya, dapat subaybayan ng publiko at media ang mga proyekto habang ipinapatupad ang mga ito, kabilang ang mga contractor na nagsasagawa ng mga proyekto.
“Humihinto ang interest ng public pagkatapos maipasa ng Kongreso at mai-enroll ang bill. Sa implementation mas importante,” ani Lacson.
Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na nakikipag-ugnayan ang kanyang staff sa mga civil society organization tulad ng National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) ng University of the Philippines upang masusing suriin ang panukalang badyet.
“Libo libong pahina yan. At ang kasabihan nga, more heads better than one or two or three,” aniya.
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