Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is seeking a thorough investigation into the government’s flood control projects in light of the severe flooding in Metro Manila due to the combined impact of Super Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon 

In a Viber message on Thursday, Escudero lamented the National Capital Region still experiencing massive flooding despite the multibillion-peso allocation every year. 

“With Metro Manila now under a state of calamity and the government now working to address the damage wrought by Typhoon Carina, we should also work to determine why—over a decade after Typhoon Ondoy—chronic, severe flooding continues to afflict the nation’s capital,” Escudero stressed, as he called on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to put an end to severe flooding in metropolis. 

He criticized the “repetitive cycle” the government has to face every time a typhoon strikes. 

“Swaths of NCR are flooded so work and classes are suspended; we deploy our frontliners who rescue and evacuate affected families; generous volunteers and groups organize donation efforts and distribute aid; after the rains end, we assess the costs of the damage and evacuees are sent home. Repeat,” he said. 

Escudero characterized the government’s repeated actions as a “painful reality that cannot be accepted,” given the economic significance of Metro Manila and its role as the seat of government. 

“Ganito na lang ba palagi? Tatanggapin na lang natin na kapag malakas ang ulan, magbabaha at mapaparalisa ang ikot ng buhay natin? Anong nangyari sa ‘building back better’? (Are we always like this? Will we just accept when it rains heavily, it will flood and paralyze the cycle of our life? What happened to 'building back better'?” Escudero asked.

Questionable flood control funds

He then urged the DPWH and MMDA to closely collaborate with the local government units in inspecting flooded areas as well as recommending medium- and long-term solutions to prevent and avoid flooding.

“We cannot control the severity and frequency of typhoons and heavy rains, but we must anticipate, adjust, and adapt so that extreme weather phenomena do not unnecessarily disrupt the lives of our kababayan,” he noted. 

According to Escudero, approximately P255 billion was allocated for the DPWH’s flood control projects in the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024. 

He previously criticized the budget as it was “disproportionately large” compared to other critical sectors, noting that the “effectiveness of flood control measures” is questionable.

Inquiry on flood control measures

Escudero said the Senate Committee on Public Works, chaired by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., will conduct an inquiry to uncover the reasons behind the apparent inefficacy of the flood control projects despite the substantial funding.

The inquiry, he noted, assesses the current state of the flood control systems and develops actionable solutions to ensure that the substantial investments in these projects yield the intended results—protecting communities from flooding and mitigating the impact of severe weather events.

During last year’s budget deliberations, Escudero said that the P255 billion budget for flood control far exceeded the allocations for irrigation (P31 billion), the construction of new hospitals, and even the capital outlay budgets of the Department of Agriculture (P40.13 billion) and the Department of Health (P24.57 billion).

He even pointed out that the flood control budget surpasses the proposed budgets of entire departments, including the Department of National Defense at P232.2 billion and the Department of Social Welfare and Development at P209.9 billion.