Manila, Philippines – The House of Representatives is tightening the screws on next year's flood control budget, vowing a stricter review of fund allocation for anti-flood projects in 2027 as the Executive Branch prepares to hand over the National Expenditure Program for the coming fiscal year.

The move comes amid renewed public scrutiny of flood control spending, following recent flooding across Metro Manila and the provinces driven by successive typhoons and an intensified habagat.

"Kailangan ito bantayan but it does not mean to say na ihihinto natin kasi mas malaking dagok ito. Mado-double-whammy, nagkaroon na nga ng problema sa flood control before. Kung ihinto mo ng tuluyan yung programang yan, paano naman yung good projects, paano naman yung mga communities that we need to protect? 

[This needs to be watched closely, but that doesn't mean we stop it altogether, because that would be a bigger blow. It would be a double whammy — we already had problems with flood control before. If you stop the program entirely, what happens to the good projects, what happens to the communities that we need to protect?]" said House Deputy Speaker Janette Garin of Iloilo's 1st District.

House leadership members are bracing for heated debate on the matter once the Executive Branch formally submits the 2027 National Expenditure Program to the chamber.

House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union's 1st District said any project seeking funding will have to survive a rigorous vetting process that traces all the way back to the local level.

"Pero siyempre ang budget po pagdedebatehan at kaya nga po nandiyan po yung mga representatives, nandiyan yung mga galing po sa local, mas alam po nila kung ano yung nangyayari kasi may proseso po yan eh mula barangay, city, probinsya, hanggang sa national po, dinaanan po ng prosesyo yan. Pag hindi po kumpleto yung validation, saka wala po yung coordinates, hindi po talaga papasa yan at magkakaroon po ng additional funding, kasi dumaan po siya sa matinding vetting. 

[But of course the budget will be debated, and that's why the representatives are there — those who come from the local level know better what's happening, because there's a process that goes from the barangay, city, province, all the way to the national level. If the validation isn't complete, or there are no coordinates, it really won't pass and won't get additional funding, because it goes through strict vetting.]" Ortega said.

Garin echoed that funding will not be handed out freely, stressing that the House and its Committee on Appropriations will set clear parameters before releasing allocations.

"Definitely magkakaroon yan ng parameters. So andun naman yung justification, of course, we leave it to the leadership of the House and the leadership of the Committee on Appropriations. 

[Definitely there will be parameters. So the justification is there, of course, we leave it to the leadership of the House and the leadership of the Committee on Appropriations.]" Garin said.

Both lawmakers made clear that strict vetting and requirements will steer flood control funding toward the areas most exposed to flooding and landslides — not spread thin across the board.

They also disclosed that the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and local government units have already begun coordinating on the matter.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed that the proposed national budget for next year will carry dedicated flood management and flood mitigation projects, as the Marcos administration pushes forward with a PHP7.2-trillion budget proposal for 2027.

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