Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman assured that sufficient funding would be dedicated to visible flood control programs, learning from recent experiences after heavy downpour inundated many communities this rainy season.
During the first Special Program Convergence Budgeting Steering Committee (PCB-SC) meeting on Friday, Pangandaman emphasized that the funds allocated “should not be imaginary or left idle” adding it must be “functional, felt, and truly helpful” to citizens.
The meeting was held in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s declaration against corrupt practices during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“We do not want a repeat of what happened during the past storms when most areas in the country turned into swimming pools due to the deep floods, and some cars ended up like submarines. This caused a lot of inconvenience to our fellow Filipinos,” Pangandaman said.
Earlier, Manila Mayor Francisco Moreno Domagoso proposed the transfer of operations and maintenance of flood control infrastructure to local government units (LGUs) to better address flooding problems.
“If you give the mayor the authority, you get action and accountability… Let us handle it because we face the people every day. And when we fail, there is no one else to blame,” Domagoso said.
He underscored that the national government should allow LGUs to operate such infrastructure, explaining they are more accountable to the people they serve.
Domagoso cited the failure of national government agencies as well as political interference as reasons behind the ineffective flood control projects.
“If you let the mayor run it and it fails, there is direct responsibility. In three years, if we mess up, we are done… The President is right, let us not mess around. He knows the congressman is interfering with the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) project,” said Domagoso.
Meanwhile, the mayor lauded the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for its effective operation of 72 pumping stations across Metro Manila, 24 of which are located in the city.
The DPWH has a ₱34-billion flood control budget dedicated to Metro Manila, while the MMDA maintains its pumping stations under a ₱2-billion annual budget yet the latter delivers working systems, Domagoso noted.
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