Press Release - Poe seeks inquiry on DPWH's underutilized flood control budget

Sen. Grace Poe wants an investigation into the underutilization of the budget for flood control projects following the devastation wrought by Super Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon.

Filing Senate Resolution No. 1080, Poe said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) must explain the downward trend of its fund disbursement for flood control and management projects despite getting increases in budget in the last five years.

"The extensive damage wrought by Super Typhoon Carina highlights an urgent need for a thorough inquiry into the utilization of the DPWH's Flood Management Program and other pertinent projects related to the government's flood control efforts, to ensure the cost-effective allocation of resources," said the head of the Senate committee on finance.

The senator added there is a need to investigate why, despite significant investments in flood control projects and mechanisms, the country remains profoundly ill-prepared to face and withstand such disasters.

"It behooves the Senate to demand an explanation from the DPWH, the government agency responsible for implementing the administration's Flood Management Program, as to why such a devastating incident still occurred despite the program's budget steadily increasing over the past five years," she said.

According to Poe, DPWH got over P90 billion in 2020; P101 billion in 2021; P128 billion in 2022; P182 billion in 2023, and P244 billion this year.

Over the past five years, the funds allotted to the Flood Management Program have comprised about 20% of the entire budget allocated to the DPWH annually, with the percentage increasing to nearly 25% of the DPWH's budget in 2024.

"In stark contrast to the progressive increase in the DPWH budget for the Flood Management Program, the program's actual budget utilization rate has been on an alarming downward trend," she said.

In 2021, the department disbursed only 68.26%; 73% in 2022; and 58% in 2023.

For the current administration alone, since 2022, around P556 billion has been allocated to fund flood control programs, which represents nearly half of the funds for the same projects over the past decade.

Poe also pointed out that during last