P107 billion flood control budget for 2027 lowest since 2019
MANILA, Philippines — Amid ongoing corruption investigations, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is poised to get P107.4 billion in flood control funding under the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
This is the lowest allocation for flood control since 2019.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted yesterday the proposed 2027 budget to the House of Representatives, which also seeks P3.41 billion for the flood control program of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
In a message to lawmakers, President Marcos said the outlay strengthens the government’s capacity to invest in strategic infrastructure, human capital, food and energy security and social protection, while reinforcing transparency, accountability and the efficient use of public resources.
“Amid continuing global uncertainties – including geopolitical tensions, persistent inflationary pressures and volatile energy prices – we remain steadfast in pursuing growth that is both resilient and fiscally responsible,” the President said.
Meanwhile, the DBM also lowered unprogrammed appropriations (UA) to its lowest level at the National Expenditure Program (NEP) since 2019, at P111.98 billion.
The six percent increase from the P6.793-trillion national budget in 2026 to the NEP is largely driven by funding requirements the government is obligated to provide, acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said in the budget submission ceremony.
“It takes into account anticipated mandatory allocations, including higher national tax allotments for our local government units, the fourth tranche of the salary adjustments for civilian government employees, salary adjustments for military and uniformed personnel and other existing fiscal obligations of the government,” he said.
About P316 billion, or nearly four-fifths of the total increase, comes from these mandatory obligations alone, he added.
Education gets less
The education sector continues to receive the largest share of the budget at P1.314 trillion, consistent with the Constitution’s mandate, though slightly lower than the P1.345 trillion this year.
“Our total education spending here in NEP accounts to about 3.96 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product),” De Leon said.
The proposed 2027 education budget includes P975.96 billion for the Department of Education and P176.5 billion for higher education, including state universities, colleges and the Commission on Higher Education.
DPWH gets more
Meanwhile, DPWH will receive P644 billion, rising from the P530 billion allocated for 2026.
Aside from the P107.4-billion flood control budget to finance the maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and improvement of existing infrastructure facilities, there is also P19.6 billion in capital outlay for ongoing foreign-assisted projects.
De Leon defended the decision to allocate around P110 billion in funds for flood mitigation projects despite irregularities revealed last year, saying it was to maintain existing flood control works and construct unfinished projects.
“We cannot simply neglect the flood control projects that have already been started, as leaving them unfinished would undermine their intended impact,” the DBM chief said.
De Leon said the proposed flood control projects would undergo a rigorous vetting process to ensure that projects are properly identified and tagged and to prevent the inclusion of so-called “ghost flood control” projects in the budget approved by Congress.
“Also included in what we will scrutinize and examine is the implementation of these flood control projects, from appropriations to release,” he added.
Infrastructure investment under the Build Better More program is proposed at P1.467 trillion, equivalent to 4.4 percent of GDP and P178 billion higher than this year.
Cumulative health sector funding, including the Department of Health, specialty hospitals and PhilHealth, stood at P353.8 billion.
Other major allocations include the P332.5-billion budget for the Interior and Local Government, P328.8 billion for national defense and P302.2 billion for transportation.
Social welfare is proposed to receive P241.6 billion, primarily for social protection and assistance programs.
P111.98 billion for UA
The DBM said the proposed spending program sharply reduces UA, which it described as part of its effort to promote more predictable and transparent government spending.
The proposed P111.98-billion UA represents just 1.6 percent of the total expenditure program, the lowest UA-to-total expenditure program ratio since 1991.
“More importantly, the proposed UA is limited to clearly defined and necessary purposes: primarily to restore the fund balance remitted by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) in 2024 and to provide funding cover for foreign-assisted projects, subject to the stringent conditions prescribed by law,” De Leon said.
P10.77 billion for CIF
He noted that confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) remain subject to government budgeting and auditing rules, with P10.77 billion allocated for such purposes in the proposed budget.
Of this amount, P6.4 billion is earmarked for law enforcement agencies, while P4.37 billion is allocated as confidential funds for civilian offices.
De Leon stressed that only agencies with law enforcement and/or military mandate will get CIFs.
To prevent questionable insertions, Speaker Faustino Dy III vowed House officials will go over the proposed 2027 budget with a fine-tooth comb.
During plenary session yesterday, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian also confirmed receipt of the 2027 NEP.
With impeachment proceedings ongoing, Gatchalian said the budget hearings will start after the Aug. 27 briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee.
The budget hearings on Thursday and Fridays will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Double standard
Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday accused Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong of having double standards after he claimed that some House prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte have budget insertions.
Magalong claimed in a recent interview with News 5 that the budget insertions have returned and that the legislators tied to the flood control scam had regained their pork barrel.
Asked to react to Magalong’s claim, Palace press officer Claire Castro said the city mayor merely invoked his right to remain silent when he was asked about Duterte’s impeachment trial. — Delon Porcalla, Alexis Romero, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Artemio Dumlao
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