Any flood control master plan being crafted must not only be technically comprehensive but also be designed to span multiple administrations, ensuring continuity despite changes in government, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed on Wednesday.
Lacson made the call after noting that the master plans of previous administrations were often discarded by the successors, leaving ordinary Filipinos to continue suffering from the effects of flooding.
“Dapat may continuity, multi-administration. Dapat nagko-cross ng administrations ang plano kung ito’y maayos. Pwede siguro mag modify, mag-adapt sa bagong sitwasyon sa pagbabago ng panahon, pero nandiyan ang basic master plan kung paano tutugunan ang problema ng pagbaha (There should be continuity and the master plan should be multi-administration in scope. It must be designed to cross administrations. Minor modifications can be made over time to adapt to new situations, but the core of the basic plan must remain),” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.
In Filipino: Lacson: Flood Control Master Plan, Dapat May ‘Continuity’ at ‘Multi-Administration’
He noted that during the Aquino administration, then Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson drew up a master plan for flood control, but this was disregarded in the Duterte administration.
Lacson noted that funding for flood control projects rose sharply across successive administrations. From 2011 to 2016, funding stood at P183.546 billion. This increased to P748.417 billion from 2017 to 2022, and surged to P1.0066 trillion from 2023 to 2025.
“Natandaan ko si Sec. Singson naka-craft na siya ng master plan di ganun kalaki ang gugugulin, mas matipid, systematic at mapigilan ang baha. Ang problema pagpalit ng admin nawala na. Nabasura ang planong ginawa ng dating admin. Ganun din ang mga sumusunod, kanya-kanyang paggawa ng plano (I recall Singson crafting a master plan that was cost-efficient and systematic. But when there was a change in administration, that plan was discarded. This has been the pattern where each administration insists on having its own master plan),” he said.
Lacson said that had Singson’s master plan been followed, some of the P1.939 trillion poured into the Department of Public Works and Highways alone for flood control could have been avoided or used more efficiently.
Worse, he said that based on the testimonies of former DPWH officials Roberto Bernardo, Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, 35 to 40 percent of the P1.939 trillion could have been lost to corruption.
“Kwentahin nyo na lang ang 35-40% ng P1.9 trillion kung magkano ang nawala. Tapos nandiyan pa ang baha (You can compute how much is 35 to 40 percent of P1.9 trillion – that is the amount lost to corruption. And yet, the floods aren’t going away),” he said.
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Lacson: Flood Control Master Plan, Dapat May ‘Continuity’ at ‘Multi-Administration’
Anuman ang binubuong flood control master plan ngayon ay hindi lamang dapat komprehensibo kundi dapat ding idinisenyo para saklawin ang maraming administrasyon, upang matiyak ang continuity nito sa kabila ng pagbabago ng pamahalaan, iginiit ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Miyerkules.
Ginawa ni Lacson ang panawagan matapos niyang pansinin na madalas isinasantabi ng mga sumunod na administrasyon ang mga master plan na binuo ng mga nauna sa kanila, dahilan upang patuloy na magdusa ang mga ordinaryong Pilipino dahil sa mga epekto ng pagbaha.
“Dapat may continuity, multi-administration. Dapat nagko-cross ng administrations ang plano kung ito’y maayos. Pwede siguro mag modify, mag-adapt sa bagong sitwasyon sa pagbabago ng panahon, pero nandiyan ang basic master plan kung paano tutugunan ang problema ng pagbaha,” aniya sa isang panayam sa DZBB radio.
Nabanggit niya na noong administrasyong Aquino, bumuo noon ng flood control master plan si dating Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, ngunit nabalewala ito noong administrasyong Duterte.
Ani Lacson, malaki ang itinaas ng pondo para sa mga flood control project sa magkakasunod na administrasyon. Mula 2011 hanggang 2016, umabot sa P183.546 bilyon ang pondo. Umakyat ito sa P748.417 bilyon mula 2017 hanggang 2022, at sumirit sa P1.0066 trilyon mula 2023 hanggang 2025.
“Natandaan ko si Sec. Singson naka-craft na siya ng master plan di ganun kalaki ang gugugulin, mas matipid, systematic at mapigilan ang baha. Ang problema pagpalit ng admin nawala na. Nabasura ang planong ginawa ng dating admin. Ganun din ang mga sumusunod, kanya-kanyang paggawa ng plano,” aniya.
Sinabi ni Lacson na kung sinunod sana ang master plan ni Singson, maaaring naiwasan o mas naging episyente ang paggamit sa bahagi ng P1.939 trilyong ibinuhos ng Department of Public Works and Highways para lamang sa flood control.
Mas malala, sinabi niya na batay sa mga testimonya ng mga dating opisyal ng DPWH kabilang sina Roberto Bernardo, Henry Alcantara at Brice Hernandez, maaaring 35 hanggang 40 porsiyento ng P1.939 trilyon ang nawala dahil sa korapsyon.
“Kwentahin nyo na lang ang 35-40% ng P1.9 trillion kung magkano ang nawala. Tapos nandiyan pa ang baha,” aniya.
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