President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday assured the public that the P300 billion earmarked this year for flood control will continue into 2026, but only under tighter rules to prevent misuse.
Speaking in Gonzaga, Cagayan, where he led relief efforts for Super Typhoon Nando victims, Marcos emphasized that flood mitigation projects will move forward provided they meet new standards. “So, tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang magiging flood control project hanggang sa susunod na taon… Basta’t nakita natin ay maayos ang proposal, maayos ang program of work, maayos ang completion, may acceptance ng local government. That’s the new factor that we put in,” he said.
The President also underscored the need for responsible spending of public funds. “Titiyakin po natin na hindi na po mauulit ‘yung ating nakita. Titiyakin po natin na bawat sentimo na pera ninyo – hindi namin pera ito, pera ninyo na ibinahagi ninyo sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan,” he declared.
Marcos reminded that the government is merely a caretaker of taxpayers’ money. “Kami po ay kung tawagin ay ‘custodian’ lang, tiga-bantay lang kami sa pera ninyo. Hindi amin ‘yan. Sa inyo pa rin ‘yan,” he added.
Earlier, the President ordered the transfer of P255.5 billion initially allotted for flood control under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to other priority programs. He has also required local governments to give their formal acceptance before any national government project is considered complete.
