ADB-Funded Flood Control Master Plan Out In 2026 – Dizon

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has assured lawmakers that the flood control master plan for the National Capital Region will be available by 2026. 

Dizon made the assurance as he was being questioned by Manila 2nd district Rep. Rolando Valeriano during the deliberations on the proposed P881-billion budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Friday, Sept. 5.

The DPWH chief disclosed that the funding for the master plan will come from the Asian Development Bank, adding that while the ADB works on that, DPWH will execute quick solutions to clean up waterways and esteros in the metropolis.

Dizon said it will take years for the detailed engineering plans and the execution of the master plan to roll out.  

“But the DPWH cannot just wait and do nothing, so the waterways must be desilted and drained with the help of the MMDA and local government units,” he said.  

A DPWH official explained that two flood control projects, for Pasig-Marikina and the Parañaque Spillway, are underway and that the World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have been helping address floods in the country.

“I also brought to the attention of Secretary Dizon the situation of pumping stations where parts are being stolen, compromising the integrity and operations of those facilities,” Valeriano said in a statement.

Valeriano earlier revealed the problems about the Sunog Apog pumping station in Tondo that has been non-operational since 2020 because the Metro Manila Development Authority did not accept the turnover of the project due to its many defects. 

“The defective and non-operational Sunog Apog pumping station cost P774 million and was built by MSB Vitug Construction and J.D. Legaspi Construction. Then in May 2025, entered into a P94.373-million contract with LeBron Construction, a proprietorship, for its upgrading,” Valeriano said.  

He had also pushed for the prioritization of the Parañaque Spillway project to ease flooding in southern Metro Manila.

Poor planning

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan also pressed the DPWH to account for questionable priorities in its 2026 budget proposal, warning that poor planning and irrational allocations are fueling ghost and substandard projects that ultimately tarnish the reputation of Congress.

Libanan zeroed in on the agency’s decision to pour nearly a third of its resources into flood control projects while leaving many of the country’s most vulnerable provinces underserved. 

Libanan urged the DPWH to overhaul its planning and restore public confidence in how billions in taxpayers’ money are spent. 

Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program, at least P250.8 billion was allocated to the DPWH for flood control projects. 

“I think our total budget is P6.793 trillion passed to us by the DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee). The P880.01-billion DPWH budget, what we have read is that the flood control projects is P250.8 billion, representing 32.3 percent of your budget,” Libanan said.

He argued that the misalignment between hazard maps and actual project allocation erodes public trust, since flood-prone communities continue to be neglected despite repeated devastation. 

Citing government geohazard mapping and assessment, Libanan listed the top 20 flood-prone provinces, including Maguindanao, Cagayan, Pangasinan, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Pampanga, Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, Iloilo, North Cotabato, Leyte, Bulacan, Northern Samar, Tarlac, Capiz, Zambales, Davao del Norte, Camarines Sur and Western Samar.

“We started wrong here because we are not hitting those provinces that are being flooded. Twelve provinces are not here on the top 20 provinces. What is the basis for identification?” Libanan asked. 

The Minority Leader also raised alarms over what he described as suspicious project reporting in his hometown Eastern Samar, citing discrepancies between declared accomplishments and actual progress on the ground.

Libanan recalled that in the said province, projects costing billions were implemented in areas that were not priority hazard zones.

He also underscored that misplaced priorities worsen the impact of natural disasters, pointing to typhoon-prone Pacific towns that still lack seawalls while funds are concentrated on river control projects elsewhere.

“We have big problems in our seawall. Many are being hit by super typhoon, those in the Pacific towns… The seawalls are not being prioritized, but it is our river controls. We have to rationalize the use of our funds and those who should be held accountable must be held accountable for misusing the people’s coffers,” Libanan said.